Edward M. Wojtys, M.D. University of Michigan
ACL Prevention
Programs
Conflicts of Interest
None
Disclosures
NIH/NIAMS—R01 AR054821Coulter Foundation Grant KIA Research—Consultant
Center for Organogenesis NFL—Injury and Safety Panel
Sports Health—Editor
Damaging Forces
⇓
Failed
Dynamic Protection
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
ACL Tears
ACL Injury Cascade
Mechanisms of Injury
?
Remains Unopened…
ACL Injury
Prevention
secrets
?
?
?
?
?
?
The Big Black Box
Scandanavian registry:
•Median age ~25
•Range= 5-70 years
Granan Acta Orthop 2009
Danish registry
Lind Acta Orthop 2009 Adolescent
females
Risk Factors for
Contralateral ACL
(Systematic Review – 13 Prospective) Contralateral 1stTime
Risk Risk
Sward KSST 2010
# 1 Risk Factor for
Contralateral ACL Injury
Return to High
Level Activity
Sward KSST 2010
ACL Injury Prevention Programs
•
Kinetics
•
Kinematics
•
Education
•
Compliance
Females have 100% longer rise times in isometric force development.
Komi Acta Physiol Scand 1978
• 52 NCAA athletes
– High risk sports of basketball, volleyball, soccer
(12 male, 12 female)
– Low risk sports of cycling, rowing, running (14 male, 14 female)
• Body-matched male/female pairs for age and sport
• Strength testing (Biodex) • Rotational knee stiffness device
Gender Differences in Rotational
Knee Stiffness
Wojtys JBJS 2003
• Females increased volitional knee stiffness
significantly less than males (p<0.05).
• Female athletes in pivot sports had lowest
volitional increase in knee joint stiffness.
Female (pivot sport) 171% Female (non-pivot sport) 198% Male (non-pivot sport) 207%
Male (pivot sport) 258%
Gender Differences in Rotational
Knee Stiffness
Coordinated,
efficient muscle
effort.
Engrams
Kottke Arch Phys Med 1980
ACL Injury Prevention
in Alpine Skiing
• Injury Mechanism Education (Avoiding hazardous positions)
• Prospective
• 62% Reduction in ACL Injuries
Ettlinger AJSM 1995
ACL Prevention
Kinematics, Kinetics, Education
Neuromuscular Prevention
(Youth Soccer)
• Knee, ankle, lower extremity
• 60 teams - 32 trained 28 control
• Males & females
• Cluster randomized trial
• Stretches, eccentrics, agility, jumping, & balance
Emery BJSM 2010
Injury Rate
Per 1,000 player hours
Trained – 2.08 injuries
Control 3.35
Neuromuscular Training is Protective!
Emery BJSM 2010
Adolescent & Female
Football
• Stratified cluster randomized trial
• 230 Swedish clubs
(121 – intervention)
• 4.564 players (12-17 y.o.)
• 15 min warm-up 2x week
(core, balance, allignment)
ACL Injuries
Intervention – 7 (0.28%) Control – 14 (0.67%)
Reduction in ACL – Injury rate 64%
Walden BMJ 2012
Knee Injuries - Soccer
• 1,506 females (13-19 y.o.)
• Community based intervention
• Motor skills, body control, & muscle activation & education
Kiani Arch Int. Med. 2010
Intervention – 3 injuries
Incidence – 0.04/1000 player hrs Control – 13 injuries
0.20/1000 player hrs 77% reduction knee injuries 90% reduction noncontact
Kiani Arch Int. Med. 2010
Prevention of Knee Injuries
• Systematic review (1966-2001)
• 328 studies identified 14 included
• 5 brace studies Negative
• 3 shoe cleats / ski boot-binding ? • 6 prospective, neuromuscular Positive
Thacker J Sports Med Phys Fit 2003
Knee Ligament Injury Prevention
(KLIP)
• 577 female athletes (soccer, b-ball, v-ball) 862 controls
• 20 min / session – 2x / week
• Non randomized – coach resistance
No Reduction in ACL Injuries!
Pfeiffer JBJS 2006
Injury Prevention - Soccer
• Randomized trial – high and low risk
Intervention and control
• Ankle, knee, hamstrings, groin
• Training compliance (HR) 27.5% Ankle 29.2% Knee 21.1% Hamstrings 19.4% Groin Engebretsen AJSM 2008
Effectiveness of ACL
Injury Prevention
• Meta-analysis of prospective controlled studies • 909 studies identified 9 included Sadoghi JBJS 2012 Caraffa 1996 Gilchrist 2008 Heidt 2000 Hewett 1999 Mandelbaum 2005 Petersen 2002 Petersen 2005 Pfeiffer 2006 Sadoghi JBJS 2012Sadoghi Studies
• Scientific quality – low
• Issues – blinding, randomization, few matched pairs, drop-out rates
• Only 1 study with power analysis
• Study outcome heterogeneity
• 5/9 – soccer
• Low numbers
Sadoghi JBJS 2012
Pooled Risk Ratio
Females 0.48 95% C.I. = 0.26-0.89 Males 0.15 95% C.I. = 0.08-0.28 ACL injury risk reduction significant for females 52% (p=0.021) and males 85% (p<0.001)
Sadoghi JBJS 2012
Meta-Regression
Balance Board no effect (p=0.712) Video assistance no effect (0.914) F/U duration no effect (0.437) Year of publication no effect (0.358)
On the pooled risk
Sadoghi JBJS 2012
? Best Program ?
• Study heterogeneity• At least 10 min – 3 x / week
Neuromuscular
Meta-Regression (Training)
Preseason vs. playing season reduced risk by 19.1% (p=0.691)
Sadoghi JBJS 2012
ACL Injury Prevention and
Performance Enhancement
• Systematic Review (1995-2011) • 57 Studies – 42 Programs Sportsmetrics Myklebust 17 Studies KLIP PEP 11 (HOLM)Noyes Sports Health 2012
ACL Injury Incidence Reduction
(AE*)
PEP and Sportsmetrics
*Athletic Performance Improvements
Noyes Sports Health 2012
Clinical Incidence Rate
Injuries
Athletes
At Risk (N)
ACL Injury Rate
Injuries
Athletic
Exposures (AE)
Sportsmetrics
ACL Injury Reduction • Very successful Improved Athletic Performance • 60-120 min / 3x week • Pre-SeasonPEP
• Very Good
In-Season – 20 min before practice
? Athletic Performance ?
Noyes Sports Health 2012
ACL Injury Reduction
Prevention Programs
• Landing technique • Cutting maneuvers • DecelerationTailored to the Athlete
Sports Specific
Artificial Turf vs Grass
• Prospective Cohort –
2020 players (109 teams)
• Young female football players (2005)
Risk of Acute Ankle/Knee Injury was Similar!
Steffen BJSM 2007
Field Turf vs. Grass
(NFL)
• Descriptive Retrospective Study
• 2000-2009 (5360 team/games) Injury Rate 67% on Field Turf
Hershman AJSM 2012
Compliance
Athletic
Injury
Performance
Prevention
Balance
Summary
• Injury prevention hampered by lack of ACL injury mechanism
understanding
• Still not sure what Sportsmetrics, PEP, and other successful programs change?
Thank You
ACL Injury Prevention
(Meta-Analysis)
Plyometric Balance
Strength Training Training
*Most effective – females (<18 yo) soccer
Yoo KSST 2010
Warm-up Program
(cluster randomized trial)
• 1892 female footballers (13-17 y.o.)
• Foot, ankle, leg, knee, thigh, groin, & hip
• Strength, awareness, & NM control Risk of all injuries, severe & overuse,
was reduced!
(Lower extremity injury rate did not change)
Soligard BMJ 2008
ACL-R Risk Factors
Activity Level & Graft Type
• Case-control 21 pts – 42 matched
• Univariate logistic regression Low vs. high activity – OR 5.53
(95% C.I. 1.18-28.61) Allo vs. auto – OR 5.56 (95% C.I. 1.55-19.98) Borchers AJSM 2009
Goals
Enhanced conditionPrevent muscle fatigue
Hamstring fatigue Transverse plane Control Deficits
Nyland JAT 1999
Hamstring Training
Eccentric >Concentric (Improving quad/hamstring) (* Professional soccer players)
Gluteal Training
(Abductors, Extensors, External Rot.)
• Plyometric training
Dynamic L.E. control & positioning at ground contact
Chimera JAT 2004
Core
• Pertebation training• Body sway control
Jamison MSSE 2012
Hamstring Strength
• Concentric vs. eccentric
• 21 well trained male soccer players
• 2x6 reps 3x(8-12) reps x2/weeks load x 6 weeks 11% in eccentric torque (60)
No ∆in concentric
Mjolsnes Scand JMS Sports 2004
Knee Injuries – Alpine Skiing
• Education program (1993-94) 20 intervention
22 control
• 179 serious injuries
• 62% reduction with education
Ettlinger AJSM 1995
Ski areas
Contra vs. Ipsilateral ACL Injury
• 63 ACL-R
• 39 controls
• 12 month f/u
• 16 ACL-R, 1 control ACL
* Female ACL-R
16x injury rate (controls) 4x ACL
Paterno Clin J. Sport Med 2012
4x male risk – 2
ndACL
6x male risk – contra ACL
Paterno Clin J. Sport Med 2012
ACL Retear and
Contralateral Injury Risk
• Prospective cohort (Level II)
• 2y data – 235(273) 86% • 7 retears (3%) 7 contra (3%) Moon AJSM 2007 Ekstrand 75% Vermont 62% Cincinnati (Sportsmetrics) 72% Wedderkopp 71-80% Caraffa 87%
Santa Monica (PEP) 88%, 74%
Soderman 0%
Decrease in ACL tears
ACL Prevention Success Rates
Dissipate damaging forces
Education
Avoid hazards
(proper form, positioning,
anticipation)
Neuromuscular Protection
Injury Situation
• 20 min warm-up (video)
–2-3 times/week for 12 weeks • Avoidance techniques
• Stretch and strengthen
• Plyometrics
• Soccer agilities
PEP Program
Mandelbaum AOSSM 2002
1041 soccer trainees – 0.2 injuries/player 1902 soccer controls – 1.7 injuries/player
2002 88%
↓
in ACL Injuries
2003 74%
a↓
in ACL Injuries
PEP Results
Mandelbaum AOSSM 2002, 2003
Protective System
Sensory receptor outflow causes activation of muscle efferents generating
Pertubation Training
Selective Muscle Use Patterns
•
↑
co-contraction (Q-H-G)
•
↓
muscle stretch reflex
Protective System
Protective Muscle
Contractions
Knee Joint Resistance
to Deformation
•
Always present
•
First line of defense
(Relaxed)
Intrinsic Stiffness
• Dependent upon the excitation provided by
the alpha and gamma motoneurons.
• Can be modified with training.
Extrinsic Stiffness
Gender Differences in the
Contributions of the Musculature
to Knee Shear Stiffness
Edward M Wojtys, MD James A. Ashton-Miller, Ph.D Laura J. Huston, M.S. JBJS, 2002
Males
473%
Females
217%
(p=0.003)
% Increase in Stiffness
Strength was not the predominant contributor to knee stiffness.
Stiffness = -0.009x1-17.8x2+0.5x3+ ß X1 = muscle strength (p=0.974) X2 = gender (p=0.049) X3 = subject’s height (p=0.666) ß = constant = 51.9 (p=0.576)
Regression Model
Gender differences in active musculo -skeletal stiffness
--- Men
--- Women
Hamstrings
Quads
Female subjects demonstrated a 56-73%
reduced active limb stiffness relative to the male subjects
Granata J Elect & Kines 2002
Hopping Freq. Males Females % Diff
preferred 26 (9) 19 (8) * 27% *
2.5 Hz 31 (8) 24 (5) * 23% *
3.0 Hz 43 (8) 35 (7) * 19% *
* males significantly greater (p<0.05)
Stiffness Results (kN/m) 1. Leg stiffness in the female subjects was
approximately 77%that seen in males.
2. Body mass did not adequately explain the gender effect.
Granata, 2002
Gender Differences in the Muscular
Protection of the Knee Among
BMI-Matched Athletes
JBJS May 2003Study Hypothesis:
No gender differences exist in internal tibial-femoral rotation when maximally contracting knee joint musculature.
1. Stimulates joint and muscle receptors to
induce high level of Q-H-G co-contractions.
2. Improves whole body and single joint
positions to ↓ loads on joints.
3. Plyometrics to improve MRT &TPT.
4. Skill training to isolate ideal movements
than will generate lowest joint moments and best position for cutting and jumping.
Ideal ACL Training Program
Lloyd JOSPT 2001
80% reduction in rotatory laxity
with 938 N of compressive
force
Rotatory Laxity of the Knee
•
200 – 400% increase with isometric
contraction
•
1000% increase in conditioned
athletes
Varus-Valgus Knee Stiffness
Markolf JBJS 1976
Multifactorial!
Hormones– not understood
Worrisome
Anatomy– difficult to change
Muscle Function– training programs
?? mechanism of action
Causes?
t = 0 t = 200 msec •Lengthening ? •Isometric ? •Shortening ? 0 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 6 0 . 8 1 . 0 0 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 6 0 . 8 1 1 . 2 1 . 4 1 . 6 1 . 8 vBackground
Lengthening hamstrings produced the lowest relative ACL strainEffect of Hamstrings
Withrow ORS 2006 Configuration Mean (SD) Max ACL strain (%) Max impact force (N) Max quad force (N) Max medial hamstring force (N) Max lateral hamstring force (N) Shortening 3.0 (1.1) 1755 (275) 1579 (203) 168 (68) 183 (62) Lengthening 0.8 (0.6) 2093 (370) 1161 (231) 338 (118) 394 (83) Isotonic 3.6 (1.1) 1777 (256) 1546 (186) 92 (29) 103 (31)No hamstring 2.9 (1.3) 1702 (224) 1514 (169) N/A N/A
Lengthening hamstring condition significantly decreased anteromedial ACL relative strain in this jump landing model
Effect of Hamstrings
For a given increase in knee flexion angle, an increase in hip flexion angle
exists… that will lengthen the hamstring
muscle-tendon unit (MTU) in a jump landing. Lengthening Contraction ≈ 1.6 Isometric or Shortening contraction
Hypothesis
Methods
• 3 cadavers• Open dissection and digitization of
origins
and insertions of BF, SM and ST MTU
• Certus system kinematic
measurements
• Calculate hamstring MTU length for
knee angles between 0 - 90o at 0, 30 or 60o hip angles (3 trials each)
l Hamstring = f ( θKnee , θHip)
• Initial Knee & Hip Angle 30° • At Landing –Hip ↑ 15° –Knee ↑ 21° Pflum 2004 0° 30° 60° 0 2 0 4 0 6 0 8 0 3 3 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 7 3 8 3 9 4 0 4 1 H a m s tr in g L e n g th ( c m ) K n e e F le x i o n A n g le ( d e g ) C a d a v e r # 1 - B FBF 75°°°° 60°°°° 45°°°° 30°°°° 0°°°° Hip Angle
Russell et al. J. Athl. Train. 2006
Forward Hop
Conclusions
1. Hypothesis supported: A hamstring lengthening state can indeed occur -when the change in hip angle exceeds 57% of the change in knee angle.
2. Using drop landing test data, simulations suggest the hamstring MTU act in a quasi-isometric state during a drop landing 3. Reducing the knee flexion or increasing the
hip flexion will lengthen hamstring MTU to help protect ACL, and vice versa.
00 .20 . 40 .60 . 81 . 0 0 0 .2 0 .4 0 .6 0 .8 1 1 .2 1 .4 1 .6 1 .8
Pooled Risk
Risk Ratio – 0.38Prevention programs reduced risk of ACL tear by 62%
Pooled Risk - Gender
Female risk reduction – 52% Male risk reduction – 85%
Number needed to treat to prevent 1 ACL tear was 5-87