Student

• Einar Einarsson

Supervisor

• Magnús Kjartan Gislason

Committee

• Professor Paolo Gargiulo
• Professor Kristín Briem, University of Iceland
• Dr. Rodney Whiteley, Aspetar Clinic, Doha

Title

Impairments and interventions of the neuromuscular profiles in the Anterior Cruciate ligament reconstructed patients

Abstract

Neuromuscular control of the lower limbs is impaired after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery, but the pattern of muscle activation and how it influences movement is unclear. The purpose of this study is to understand muscle activation patterns of the lower limbs in athletes who underwent ACL reconstruction and to identify ways wherein the rehabilitation process may be enhanced and the outcomes improved at the time of discharge. Accordingly, it is aimed to evaluate an electromyography (EMG) profile, including onset frequency evaluation, and amplitude, of quadriceps, and hamstring activation patterns in healthy subjects and patients that have undergone ACL reconstruction, in subgroups divided by graft type (bone-patellar tendon bone – BPTB – and semitendinous-gracilis – STG), during maximum isometric contraction at a different stage of the rehabilitation process and functional movement tasks such, single leg jump (SLJ) and 30-second SLJ. Furthermore, it is the goal of this project to evaluate if EMG data collected from muscle synergies in early isometric contraction testing for quadriceps and hamstring muscles, correlates to performance in functional movements listed above at a later stage in the rehabilitation, in this case, early strength and EMG parameters will be compared to other objective parameters executed at a later stage as strength test results, jump, height, and power. Finally, a clinical training intervention study with biofeedback is planned, to understand what kind of neuromuscular intervention strategies will aid favorable outcomes in early-stage ACLR rehab. Results from this project can help us further understand what characterizes the successful outcome of rehabilitation intervention, that is from a neuromuscular point of view, and what describes an athlete that has returned to a previous level of activity in a timely manner by detecting early complications using EMG. This may enable us to identify specific intervention strategies tailored to each athlete early enough in the rehabilitation process to prevent complications at later stages.