title: Cruciate ligament tensile forces during the forward and side lunge.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although weight bearing lunge exercises are frequently employed during anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation, cruciate ligament tensile forces are currently unknown while performing forward and side lunge exercises with and without a stride.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen subjects used their 12 repetition maximum weight while performing a forward lunge and side lunge with and without a stride. A motion analysis system and biomechanical model were used to estimate cruciate ligament forces during lunging as a function of 0-90 degrees knee angles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparing the forward lunge to the side lunge across stride variations, mean posterior cruciate ligament forces ranged between 205 and 765N and were significantly greater (P<0.0025) in the forward lunge long at 40 degrees , 50 degrees , 60 degrees , 70 degrees , and 80 degrees knee angles of the descent phase and at 80 degrees , 70 degrees , 60 degrees knee angles of the ascent phase. There were no significant differences (P<0.0025) in mean posterior cruciate ligament forces between with and without stride differences across lunging variations. There were no anterior cruciate ligament forces quantified while performing forward and side lunge exercises.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians should be cautious in prescribing forward and side lunge exercises during early phases of posterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation due to relatively high posterior cruciate ligament forces that are generated, especially during the forward lunge at knee angles between 40 degrees and 90 degrees knee angles. Both the forward and side lunges appear appropriate during all phases of anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation. Understanding how forward and side lunging affect cruciate ligament loading over varying knee angles may help clinicians better prescribe lunging exercises in a safe manner during anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, California State University, Sacramento, CA, USA. rescamil@csus.edu <rescamil@csus.edu>
authors.forename: Rafael F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Escamilla
authors.forename: Naiquan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Toran D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: MacLeod
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: W Brent
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hreljac
authors.forename: Glenn S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Fleisig
authors.forename: Kevin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Wilk
authors.forename: Claude T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Moorman
authors.forename: Lonnie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paulos
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Andrews
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000502:physiology