Upper body accelerations during walking are altered in adults with ACL reconstruction

This study was designed to assess and compare the pattern of acceleration from the lower trunk, neck and head regions for individuals with reconstructed ACL compared to healthy controls during walking. Participants with unilateral ACL reconstruction and matched control persons participated in the study. Accelerations were collected using three triaxial accelerometers attached to the head, neck, and lower trunk. Measures of amplitude and signal regularity of the acceleration data were performed. Similarities were seen between both groups with regards to the general acceleration patterns in all three axes. However, the results also revealed that the individuals with ACL reconstruction had significantly greater peak power in the AP direction at higher frequencies, indicating a reduced ability to attenuate frequency signals. Further, the ACL group had a reduced ability to control head motion during gait, as indicated by reduced regularity in VT. Both groups demonstrated a similar pattern of gait-related oscillations across the head, neck and trunk segments. However, adults with a reconstructed ACL demonstrated a reduced capacity to compensate for the higher frequency components of the gait signal, which may have led to a decline in head control. Overall, these findings indicate that previous damage to the ACL is not simply localized to the knee joint, but influences upper body control, too.