Article

Persons with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) show
deficits in gait and neuromuscular control following rehabilitation. This altered
behavior extends to locomotor adaptation and learning, however the contributing
factors to this observed behavior have yet to be investigated. The
purpose of this study was to assess differences in locomotor adaptation and
learning between ACLR and controls, and identify underlying contributors to motor
adaptation in these individuals. METHODS: Twenty ACLR individuals and 20 healthy
controls (CON) agreed to participate in this study. Participants performed four
cognitive and dexterity tasks (local version of Trail Making Test, reaction time
test, electronic pursuit rotor test, and the Purdue pegboard). Three-dimensional
kinematics were also collected while participants walked on a split-belt
treadmill. RESULTS: ACLR individuals completed the local versions of Trails A and
Trails B significantly faster than CON. During split-belt walking, ACLR
individuals demonstrated smaller step length asymmetry during EARLY and LATE
adaptation, smaller double support asymmetry during MID adaptation, and larger
stance time asymmetry during DE-ADAPT compared with CON. CONCLUSIONS: ACLR
individuals performed better during tasks that required visual attention and task
switching and were less perturbed during split-belt walking compared to controls.
Persons with ACLR may use different strategies than controls, cognitive or
otherwise, to adapt locomotor patterns.

Langue : ANGLAIS