Postural stability during visual-based cognitive and motor dual-tasks after ACLR

Determine the effect of visual-based motor and cognitive dual tasking on postural stability in those with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction relative to matched controls.

Cohort study.

Fourteen volunteers with history of anterior crucaite ligament reconstruction were matched with fourteen healthy controls. Participants performed single leg balance tasks under 4 conditions: (1) single leg balance with eyes-open, (2) single leg balance while catching a ball (dual-motor), (3) single leg balance while repeating a string of numbers in reverse order after viewing them (dual-cognitive) and (4) single leg balance with eyes-closed. Participants completed several patient-reported outcomes of knee function. Mixed effects models were used to identify group differences on the center of pressure measures of ellipse area and root-mean-squared excursion (medial-lateral and anterior-posterior). The mixed models included subject pair as a random factor and group (control, anterior cruciate liagement reconstruction), balance condition (eyes-open, eyes-closed, dual-cognitive, and dual-motor), and group*condition as fixed effects. Tukey post-hoc pairwise comparisons were performed for significant interaction and main effects with an α=0.05.

A significant group by condition interaction was observed for ellipse area and medial-lateral root-mean-squared excursion. The anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction group had higher ellipse area (p=0.002, d=0.44) and medial-lateral root-mean-squared excursion (p<0.001, d=0.49).

Postural stability is greatly impaired under eyes-closed and dual-motor conditions relative to eyes-open. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed individuals have greater postural instability during the dual-cognitive condition that may indicate unique neural processing deficits remain following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.