 |
 |
| See video (requires Netscape 3.0 and Quicktime 2.5) | |
|
|
| See video (requires Netscape 3.0 and Quicktime 2.5) | |
In this experiment we are attempting to answer how the gait differs between a person with a normal anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a person with a torn ACL. We are interested in this problem because as pre-physical therapists we expect to treat many ACL injuries, since one of the most frequent knee reconstructive procedures is for a torn ACL (Andriacchi, 1993).
The purpose of our investigation is to compare the biomechanics of normal gait versus the gait of an individual with a torn ACL. To compare the difference in gait we analyzed our two subjects as they walked 2.032m across a racquetball court. From our experiment we expect to find where and to what degree the gait abnormality occurs for an individual with a torn ACL. We believe that extension and flexion of the injured knee will be limited during gait resulting in a shorter stride length.