The development of measures of balance and stability of the knee.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
To develop objective measures of balance and functional stability of the knee using force plate and gait laboratory 3D technology. The development of normal values of measurements for children of different ages. Preliminary assessment of adolescent patients having undergone reconstruction of their Anterior Cruciate Ligament of the knee.
IRAS ID
242686
Contact name
A Geraint Davies
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Childrens NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 27 days
Research summary
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are increasing in frequency in children and adolescents, and usually require reconstruction with hamstring grafts. Presently, there is no objective measure of adequate rehabilitation of the knee with respect to functional stability, to inform when a patient should be advised to return to strenuous activities or contact sports. There remain deficits in proprioception and strength for many months after the grafts themselves have healed, but there are no rigorous tests of how stable the reconstructed knee is under stressful conditions. Consequently, a premature return to activities may predispose these patients to recurrent injury, which has a greater frequency in the adolescent age group compared to skeletally mature patients. This project seeks to develop objective measures of balance and stability of the knee, so that decisions around returning to activities may be better informed, and reduce the incidence of recurrent injury. This project builds on a previous study and will seek to establish a range of "normal" values of measurements in children of different ages. Some adolescent patients who have undergone reconstruction of their ACL will also be assessed as a preliminary study.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1098
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jul 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion