Effect of repeated passive anterior loading on human knee anterior laxity

Abstract

BackgroundIncreased knee anterior laxity results when the anterior cruciate ligament is injured. This increased laxity can cause knee dysfunction. Until recently this laxity was believed to be only diminished through surgery. But recent findings indicate that knee anterior laxity may be decreased with repeated loading of the knee. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that regular passive anterior loading of the uninjured human knee would enhance its stiffness. Study designRandomized controlled trial. MethodsKnee anterior laxity was tested using an arthrometer in 22 young, uninjured females before, during and after a 3 month period during which passive anterior loading was applied by a trained physiotherapist over 5 sessions per week to a randomly assigned knee. ResultsKnee anterior laxity was not affected by the passive anterior loading of the knee. ConclusionsGiven that in this study repeated passive loading of the knee did not change knee anterior laxity, it would be easy to conclude that this training is ineffective and no further research is required. We caution against this given the relatively short duration and possibly insufficient intensity of the training and the population studied; individuals with normal joint laxity. We recommend that future research be performed that consists of individuals with lax joints who receive training for prolonged periods.