Nonweight-bearing anterior knee laxity is related to anterior tibial translation during transition from nonweight bearing to weight bearing

Abstract

We examined the relationship between anterior knee laxity (AKL), evaluated while the knee was nonweight bearing, and anterior translation of the tibia relative to the femur (ATT), evaluated when the knee transitioned from nonweight-bearing to weight-bearing conditions in response to an applied compressive load at the foot. Twenty subjects with normal knees (10 M, 10 F; 25.2 +/- 4.1 years, 169.8 +/- 11.5 cm, 71.6 +/- 16.9 kg) underwent measurements of AKL and ATT of the right knee on 2 days. AKL was measured at 133N with the KT-2000. ATT was measured with the Vermont Knee Laxity Device and electromagnetic position sensors attached to the patella and the anteromedial aspect of the proximal tibia. Three trials for each measure were averaged and analyzed. Measurement consistency was high for both AKL (ICC = 0.97; SEM = 0.44 mm) and ATT (ICC = 0.88; SEM = 0.84 mm). Linear regression revealed that AKL predicted 35.5% of the variance in ATT (p = 0.006), with a prediction equation of Y(ATT) = 3.20 + 0.543(X(AKL)). Our findings suggest that increased AKL is associated with increased ATT as the knee transitions from nonweight-bearing to weight-bearing conditions. The potential for increased knee joint laxity to disrupt normal knee biomechanics during activities such as landing from a jump, or the foot strike phase of gait deserves further study.