Musculoskeletal Modelling to Analyse and Treat ACL deficiency Version1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Musculoskeletal Modelling to Analyse and Treat Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) deficiency
IRAS ID
190024
Contact name
Anthony Bull
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the ligaments which allows movements of the knee joint. ACL deficient patients can be categorized into either copers or non-copers based on clinical assessments. Copers are those who are able to return to pre-injury activity after rehabilitation; non-copers require surgery to achieve the similar outcome. In this study, three subject groups will be recruited; ACL deficient (copers and non-copers) and ACL reconstructed groups. ACL reconstructed group consists of those who underwent the surgery to replace the torn ACL.
In this study, knee instability in ACL deficient patients will be counteracted by contracting the biceps femoris, a hamstrings muscle which is located at the back of the thigh, by using FES (functional electrical stimulation). FES device is used to stimulate muscles by using electrical current. The experiment will be conducted in the Motion Analysis Laboratory in the South Kensington Campus of Imperial College London. Participants will need to attend one session, lasting below three hours.The methodology of this study is divided into two parts. In the first part, all subjects will be asked to walk and squat. Small reflective markers will be placed on their pelvis, legs and feet while they are doing the activities. Two electrodes of surface electromyography (EMG) will be attached to their lower limbs. An EMG measures the electrical signal that a muscle gives off when it contracts. A force plate will be used to measure subjects' force while they are walking or squatting on it. In the second part, subjects will repeat the same tasks but there will be two FES electrodes placed on their skin in order to activate the hamstring muscle (biseps femoris). The position and force data obtained will be processed in a musculoskeletal model.The musculoskeletal modelling is a tool to investigate and analyse human movements.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1646
Date of REC Opinion
11 Oct 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion