The effect of cognitive task and gait speed on gait spatiotemporal parameters in athletes with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Cross-sectional study

Background

Restoring pre-injury normal gait following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR) is a critical challenge. The purpose of this study was to compare spatiotemporal parameters in athletes following ACL reconstruction with healthy athletes when cognitive load and speed were manipulated.

Methods

Twenty male soccer players with an ACLR history and 20 healthy matched individuals completed walking tasks under four conditions: with and without a cognitive load (auditory Stroop task), and at preferred speed as well as high speed (20% higher than the individual’s preferred speed). Step Width (SW), Step Time (ST), Step Length (SL), as well as Symmetry Indexes (SIs) were measured using three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis. Gait symmetry was evaluated by SIs. The data was analyzed using Three-way analysis of variances with repeated measures (ANOVA 3 × 2).

Results

ST was significantly different between groups (P = 0.04) when the cognitive load was applied at the preferred speed. However, other spatiotemporal parameters were not significantly different between groups in any conditions (p > 0.05). The SW was reduced during high–speed walking with cognitive load in both groups (p = 0.004). High-speed resulted in greater SL (p < 0.001) and lower ST (p < 0.001) in both groups. SI was not significantly different for any parameter between groups under any conditions, however, the interaction of cognitive task × speed was significant for SW (p = 0.03).

Conclusion

Athletes at a mean of 19 months following ACL Reconstruction appear to manage speed and cognitive challenges similar to age and activity matched individuals who have not had surgery.