Article

OBJECTIVE: To use low-cost Nintendo Wii Balance Boards (NWBB) to assess
weight-bearing asymmetry (WBA) in people who have undergone anterior cruciate
ligament reconstruction (ACLR), and to compare their results with a matched
control group. DESIGN: Quantitative clinical study using a cross-sectional
design. SETTING: Orthopedic clinic of a private hospital. PARTICIPANTS: ACLR
participants (n=41; mean age +/- SD, 26.0 +/- 9.8 y; current Cincinnati sports
activity level, 75.3 +/- 19.8) performed testing in conjunction with their
routine 6- or 12-month clinical follow-up, and a control group (n=41) was matched
for age, height, body mass, and physical activity level. INTERVENTIONS:
Participants performed double-limb squats while standing on 2 NWBBs, 1 under each
foot. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The WBA variables mean mass difference as a
percentage of body mass, time favoring a single limb by >5% body mass, absolute
symmetry index, and symmetry index relative to the operated or matched control
limb were derived. Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to assess between-group
differences. RESULTS: Significant (P<.05) increases in asymmetry in the ACLR
group were found for all outcome measures except symmetry index relative to the
operated limb. CONCLUSIONS: People who have undergone ACLR are likely to possess
WBA during squats, and this can be assessed using low-cost NWBBs in a clinical
setting. Interestingly, the observed asymmetry was not specific to the surgical
limb. Future research is needed to assess the relationship between WBA early in
the rehabilitation process and long-term outcomes.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS