2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (4): 626-631

Plantar pressure and gait analysis in patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction

Li Shihao1, Li Qi2, Li Zhen1, Zhang Yuanyuan2, Liu Miaomiao1, Ouyang Yi1, Xu Weiguo3   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Current research generally believes that the abnormal changes of lower limb gait biomechanics in patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction are an important risk factor for the high incidence of knee osteoarthritis in patients. As a kind of quantitative gait analysis, plantar pressure analysis has a very important clinical value for early identification of abnormal changes in gait and timely correction.
OBJECTIVE: To review the application of plantar pressure in gait analysis after anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction, to describe the abnormal gait characteristics of current patients from the aspect of plantar pressure, to understand the current research status and deficiencies so as to provide some ideas for the formulation of rehabilitation programs and research design in future research.
METHODS: CNKI, VIP, Wanfang and PubMed databases were searched using “anterior cruciate ligament, plantar pressure, gait analysis” as Chinese and English search terms. Finally, 41 articles were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Plantar pressure can evaluate the gait pattern of patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction, which will provide information about avoiding pain and knee instability during walking. (2) The size and symmetry of foot load and the symmetry of support phase characteristics in patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury were significantly improved more than 1 year after operation. However, the excessive pronation of the affected foot observed after operation may be related to anterior cruciate ligament injury. (3) Therefore, gait analysis based on plantar pressure can help researchers better understand the gait characteristics of patients and guide the progress of postoperative rehabilitation, which may help to reduce the occurrence of secondary injury and knee osteoarthritis.
Key words: plantar pressure, gait analysis, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, anterior cruciate ligament injury, knee joint, biomechanics, review