The Effect of Functional Knee Braces on Muscular Contributions to Joint Rotational Stiffness in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Deficient and -Reconstructed Patients.

The Effect of Functional Knee Braces on Muscular Contributions to Joint Rotational Stiffness in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Deficient and -Reconstructed Patients.
J Appl Biomech. 2019 Oct 01;35(5):344-352
Authors: Derouin A, Potvin JR
Abstract
Functional knee braces are frequently prescribed by physicians to ameliorate the function of individuals with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. These braces have been shown in the literature to potentially enhance knee stability by augmenting muscle activation patterns and the timing of muscle response to perturbations. However, very few techniques are available in the literature to quantify how those modifications in lower-limb muscle activity influence stability of the knee. The aim of the present study was to quantify the effect of an off-the-shelf functional knee brace on muscle contributions to knee joint rotational stiffness in ACL-deficient and ACL-reconstructed patients. Kinematic, electromyography, and kinetic data were incorporated into an electromyography-driven model of the lower extremity to calculate individual and total muscle contributions to knee joint rotational stiffness about the flexion-extension axis, for 4 independent variables: leg condition (contralateral uninjured, unbraced ACL injured, and braced ACL injured); knee flexion (5°-10°, 20°-25°, and 30°-35°); squat stability condition (stable and unstable); and injury status (ACL deficient and ACL reconstruct...

Source: Journal of Applied Biomechanics - September 23, 2019 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: J Appl Biomech Source Type: research