INTRODUCTION

Coactivation of the hamstring muscles during dynamic knee extension may compensate for increased knee joint laxity in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient subjects. This study examined if antagonist muscle coactivation during maximal dynamic knee extension was elevated in subjects with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency compared to age-matched healthy controls.

METHODS

Electromyography (EMG) and net knee joint moments were recorded during maximal concentric quadriceps and eccentric hamstring contractions, performed in an isokinetic dynamometer (ROM: 90-10°, angular speed: 30°/s). Hamstring antagonist EMG recorded during concentric quadriceps contraction was converted into antagonist moment based on the EMG-moment relationship observed during eccentric agonist contractions.

RESULTS

The magnitude of antagonist hamstring EMG was 65.5% higher in ACL deficient subjects compared to healthy controls (p<0.05). Likewise, antagonist hamstring moment expressed in percentage of the measured net extension moment was elevated in ACL deficient subjects (56 ± 8 to 30 ± 6%) compared to controls (36 ± 5 to 19 ± 2%) at 20-50° of knee flexion (0°=full extension) (p<0.05).

DISCUSSION

The results showed a marked increase in hamstring coactivation towards more extended joint positions. Notably, this progressive rise in coactivation was greater in ACL deficient subjects, which may reflect a compensatory strategy to provide stability to the knee joint in the anterior-posterior plane during isolated knee extension. The present study encourages further investigations of hamstring coactivation in ACL deficient subjects.