Indian Journal of Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy-An International Journal

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Comparative Analysis of Knee-laxity Measurements by a Left-handand a Right-hand-dominant Physiotherapist in Patients with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and Healthy Control Group


Affiliations
1 Dept. of Orthopaedics, Subharti Medical College, Meerut, India
2 Subharti Physiotherapy College, Meerut, India
     

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The purpose of the study was to analyze and compare KT-1000 knee laxity as examined by a left-hand- and a right-hand-dominant physiotherapist in a group of patients with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and a group of patients, 2 years after ACL reconstruction. The other aim was to measure and analyze knee laxity in a group of persons without any known knee problems. A crosssectional examination of two groups of patients preoperatively and post-operatively after ACL reconstruction and examination of healthy controls on two different occasions was performed. 22 patients who were scheduled for ACL reconstruction and 20 patients who attended a 2- year follow-up examination were included in the study. In the ACL-deficient group, 14 patients had a right-sided ACL injury and 08 patients a left-sided ACL injury. The corresponding figures in the post-operative group were 13 patients with a right-sided ACL injury and 07 patients with a left-sided ACL injury. 20 healthy persons without any known knee problems served as controls. One left-hand- and one right-hand-dominant experienced physiotherapist performed all the examinations. To be able to evaluate the intra and inter-reliability of the examiners the controls were examined at two occasions. The left-hand-dominant physiotherapist measured significantly higher absolute laxity values in the left knee, both injured and non-injured ones, compared with the right-hand-dominant physiotherapist. This was found irrespectively of whether the patients belonged to the ACL deficient or the post-operative group. In the healthy control group, the right-hand-dominant physiotherapist measured significantly higher knee-laxity values in the right knee compared with the left-handdominant physiotherapist. Correspondingly, the left-handdominant physiotherapist measured significantly higher knee laxity values in the left knee. We conclude that KT- 1000 arthrometer laxity measurements can be affected by the hand dominance of the examiner. This might affect the reliability of KT-1000 arthrometer measurements.

Keywords

Acl Injury - Knee Laxity Measurement - Left-/right-hand Dominance of Physiotherapist
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  • Comparative Analysis of Knee-laxity Measurements by a Left-handand a Right-hand-dominant Physiotherapist in Patients with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and Healthy Control Group

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Authors

Vikas Trivedi
Dept. of Orthopaedics, Subharti Medical College, Meerut, India
Vaibhav Agarwal
Subharti Physiotherapy College, Meerut, India
Neha Sharma
Subharti Physiotherapy College, Meerut, India

Abstract


The purpose of the study was to analyze and compare KT-1000 knee laxity as examined by a left-hand- and a right-hand-dominant physiotherapist in a group of patients with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and a group of patients, 2 years after ACL reconstruction. The other aim was to measure and analyze knee laxity in a group of persons without any known knee problems. A crosssectional examination of two groups of patients preoperatively and post-operatively after ACL reconstruction and examination of healthy controls on two different occasions was performed. 22 patients who were scheduled for ACL reconstruction and 20 patients who attended a 2- year follow-up examination were included in the study. In the ACL-deficient group, 14 patients had a right-sided ACL injury and 08 patients a left-sided ACL injury. The corresponding figures in the post-operative group were 13 patients with a right-sided ACL injury and 07 patients with a left-sided ACL injury. 20 healthy persons without any known knee problems served as controls. One left-hand- and one right-hand-dominant experienced physiotherapist performed all the examinations. To be able to evaluate the intra and inter-reliability of the examiners the controls were examined at two occasions. The left-hand-dominant physiotherapist measured significantly higher absolute laxity values in the left knee, both injured and non-injured ones, compared with the right-hand-dominant physiotherapist. This was found irrespectively of whether the patients belonged to the ACL deficient or the post-operative group. In the healthy control group, the right-hand-dominant physiotherapist measured significantly higher knee-laxity values in the right knee compared with the left-handdominant physiotherapist. Correspondingly, the left-handdominant physiotherapist measured significantly higher knee laxity values in the left knee. We conclude that KT- 1000 arthrometer laxity measurements can be affected by the hand dominance of the examiner. This might affect the reliability of KT-1000 arthrometer measurements.

Keywords


Acl Injury - Knee Laxity Measurement - Left-/right-hand Dominance of Physiotherapist

References