Interlimb asymmetry in persons with and without an anterior cruciate ligament deficiency during stationary cycling.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the power output generation from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-injured and noninjured limbs during stationary cycling. DESIGN Repeated measures. SETTING Research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Ten people with unilateral ACL deficiency and 10 uninjured controls matched for age and sex. INTERVENTIONS Participants performed 6 randomized bouts of stationary cycling at intensities of 2 cadences (60, 90 rpm) and 3 power outputs (75, 125, 175 W) for approximately 2 minutes for each bout during a single laboratory visit. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The effective component of force (perpendicular to the crank) was measured and used to calculate the power output contribution from each limb to the total power output. RESULTS Subjects with ACL injury generated significantly more power from uninjured limbs compared with that from injured limbs and the limbs of control subjects. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that people with ACL injury have a reduced total output from the injured limb and rely on the uninjured limb for most of the power output. This may compromise the ability to restore lower-limb muscle strength after injury.

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