[RegentK Improves the Gait Mechanics of Patients with Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture Immediately after Application: Clinical Trial].
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate response to RegentK (Regeneration-Therapy by Khalifa) of patients with an acute rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), regarding the gait mechanics and functional tests, in comparison to norm data.


METHODS
9 male patients with an acute unilateral ACL rupture underwent an orthopedic exam and gait analysis immediately before and after the 1-h RegentK treatment; the results were compared to norm data of 10 healthy participants matched with the RegentK group for age and body mass index. An infrared camera system collected kinematic gait data on the injured limb; the gait kinetics were recorded with 2 force plates.


RESULTS
Immediately after the treatment, significant improvements with regard to limping, the quadriceps knee force, and the passive knee range of motion (ROM) occurred. The gait characteristics showed a significantly increased gait velocity (+0.17 m/s), step frequency (+8 steps/min), and injured-limb step length (+5 cm). The faster gait velocity involved increased sagittal ankle and hip ROM, increased maximal vertical ground reaction forces, internal ankle plantar flexion and hip flexion moments.


CONCLUSIONS
RegentK seems to immediately affect functional parameters such as passive knee joint motion and quadriceps strength and seems to enable patients to walk more dynamically, generally expressed through an increased walking speed.
Michael
M
Ofner
Gerda
G
Strutzenberger
Nathalie
N
Alexander
Andreas
A
Kastner
Hermann
H
Schwameder
D000328:Adult; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000592:standards*; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D016896:Treatment Outcome
ACL rupture; Gait mechanics; Manual therapy; Regeneration