Kinetic and kinematic characteristics of natural velocity gait in anterior cruciate ligament-deficient patients.

This study evaluates changes in the knee following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries by presenting the kinematic characteristics of the ankle and hip joints and the pelvis, and assessing the dynamic forces applied by knee joint muscles under isokinetic conditions to identify compensatory mechanisms. Seventeen ACL-deficient males, 16-47 years of age, participated in the study, and measurements were taken an average of 24.4 months after their injuries occurred. Vicon, a three-dimensional motion analysis system, was used to examine the participants' locomotive characteristics. Isokinetic tests were carried out using Easytech Genu 3 at two velocities 60 and 180°/s. We found that deviations from normal gait were most common in the ACL-deficient knee, and that there was also a noticeable impact on the functioning of other joints in the same limb. However, even chronic knee joint laxity did not result in a considerable change in a participant's gait stereotype. Measurements showed a reduction in muscular strength in knee joint extensors and flexors in isokinetic contraction in the developed joint moments of the muscle groups under research compared with the healthy limb.