Clinical trial NCT02148172: Optimizing Plyometric Training for Functional Recovery Post-ACL Reconstruction
Official title: Optimizing Plyometric Training for Functional Recovery Post-ACL Reconstruction
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
Knee Injury
Keywords: Knee
plyometrics
motor learning
psychological factors
Lead sponsor: University of Montana
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Foundation for Physical Therapy, Inc.
name: American Physical Therapy Association
First posted: 2014-05-28
Enrollment: 47
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 12
Maximum age (years): 35
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: While surgical anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) of the knee restores passive stability, studies are showing consistently poor long-term outcomes. Unusually high risks of early-onset osteoarthritis and re-injury, and low rate of return to sport following ACLR all seem to be related to a chronic tendency to land stiff-legged from a jump or hop, which itself may be due to fear of re-injury. Decreased knee bending for force absorption simultaneously decreases performance level and increases risk for injury and arthritic changes.

The purpose of the proposed study is to compare a current best-practice plyometric training program to one utilizing body weight support to increase repetition and improve performance in the initial phases. The investigators hypothesize that we will see larger improvements in absorptive capacity of the knee and better confidence in activity immediately following body weight support training, as well as improved retention of training effects after a two-month period.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* speak and understand English
* age between 12-35 years
* unilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction between 6-48 months prior
* activity level greater than or equal to level 5 on the Tegner Activity Scale

Exclusion Criteria:

* Weight in excess of 300 pounds (136 kg)
* contralateral/bilateral ACL reconstruction or an unreconstructed ACL injury
* history of a posterior cruciate ligament injury
* lower extremity of back injury or other condition (e.g. cerebral palsy) that has limited their normal activities of daily living within the last 6 months

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in sagittal plane knee kinetics and kinematics
timeFrame: Baseline and after 8 weeks of training
measure: Change in psychological readiness for sports activities via survey scores
timeFrame: baseline and after 8 weeks of training
measure: Change in motor patterning via electromyography of quadriceps and hamstring muscles
timeFrame: Baseline and after 8 weeks of training
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Retention of Biomechanical Adaptions in Knee kinetics and kinematics
timeFrame: Change from end of 8 weeks of training to 2 month follow-up
measure: Retention of adaptations in Psychological Readiness for Sport via survey
timeFrame: Change from end of 8 weeks of training to 2 month follow-up
measure: Retention of adaptations in motor patterning via electromyography
timeFrame: Change from end of 8 weeks of training to 2 month follow-up
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Missoula
country: United States
facility: University of Montana, Movement Science Laboratory
state: Montana
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Montana
name: Ryan L Mizner, PT, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Elias ARC, Harris KJ, LaStayo PC, Mizner RL. Clinical Efficacy of Jump Training Augmented With Body Weight Support After ACL Reconstruction: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Sports Med. 2018 Jun;46(7):1650-1660. doi: 10.1177/0363546518759052. Epub 2018 Mar 20.