Interaction between gender and injured limb on H/Q isokinetic ratio of both sides in patients with ACL rupture.

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is one of the most common sport injuries, particularly in women. Objectives: The aim of this study was investigating the interaction between gender and injured limb on the isokinetic ratio of H/Q on both healthy and affected sides in patients with ACL rupture. Study design: This original study was semi-experimental, retrospective, and single blind. Methods: In this study, eighteen athletes (7 women and 11 men) in the ages of 20 to 35 years participated voluntarily. All the participants had the experience of ACL partial tearing more than 6 months, which were symptom-free at the time of our study and they return to full activity by the help of conservative treatment. After warming up, they performed an isokinetic test for knee flexion and extension at a constant speed of 60o per second. Each movement was performed 10 times with three repetitions and the average ratio of hamstrings to quadriceps (H/Q) calculated by the device software was transferred to spss23 software and it was investigated through the statistical test of two-way analysis of variance (α=0.05). Results: In the results of the present study, the H/Q ratio was significantly higher in the affected leg of women and there was a significant difference between the healthy and affected sides in women (P=0.044). However, comparing the healthy and affected legs in men and also the comparison of the healthy leg of men and women and the affected leg of men and women were not significantly different (P>0.05). Conclusion: Perhaps this can be attributed to the feeling of greater instability in the affected knee of women after ACL injury and their greater dependence on ACL. So, women show greater hamstring/quadriceps activity in their affected side to support their injured knee, and also compensate dynamic instability due to ACL deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]