Dynamic pedobarography to evaluate gait symmetry after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

This is an international research project between Peking University Third Hospital (China), Máxima Medical Center Eindhoven, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam and Sint Maartsenskliniek Nijmegen (The Netherlands).
Dynamic pedobarography can quantify specific biomechanical loading characteristics of the lower extremities. A prospective case-control study was performed in 12 unilateral ACL-deficient subjects before and six months after ACL-reconstruction. Subjects walked and ran on a 2m footscan® system. A novel plantar pressure normalization method was used to quantify the pixel-by-pixel level of gait asymmetry. Although non-anatomical ACL-reconstruction does not change pedobarographic parameters related to torsional loading of the lower limb, it generally decreases plantar pressure asymmetry and affects spatiotemporal loading characteristics in antero-posterior direction during walking and running. Dynamic pedobarography might therefore be a new tool to objectively document pivot and rotational abnormalities of both the ACL-deficient and ACL-reconstructed knee.