Title: “Relationship between Quick Board reaction time and standard functional test
results in a population of patients with ACL reconstruction.”
Abstract:
Background: Readiness for return to sport following anterior cruciate ligament
reconstruction (ACLR) is a multifactorial assessment. Standard Functional Testing (SFT)
is an established tool for evaluation of rehabilitation status following ACLR. It is known
that agility, in the form of reaction time, correlates with the risk of soft tissue injury
following ACLR. The Quick Board computerized agility training system has
demonstrated improved agility in a well patient population, however, it’s efficacy as a
rehabilitation assessment tool has yet to be established.
Hypothesis/Purpose: (1) Quick Board single and double leg reaction time correlates
with SFT results on the operative and non-operative legs. (2) Overall reaction time will
improve in the operative patient population following a Neuromuscular Re-Education
(NMR) program.
Study Design: Retrospective chart review.
Methods: This was a retrospective study involving (30) patients enrolled in our
institution’s 6-week NMR program that is conducted for interested patients following
standard post-op ACLR rehabilitation. The program is conducted six months following
ACLR. Only patients who had participated in the NMR program following ACLR, and
completed pre and post testing were included in the study population. Pre and post
testing included SFT hop tests (Single Leg Hop) as well as single leg and double leg
reaction time on the Quick Board. The Quick Board records the speed of foot touches on
a sensor mat placed on the floor; the participant touches the sensors in a similar pattern
for each test. The results were recorded for affected leg, unaffected leg, and the limb
symmetry index (LSI). The change from pre to post testing in the affected leg and LSI
was then compared between SFT hop tests and Quick Board results to determine if the
Quick Board testing demonstrated similar findings to the SFT hop testing results.
Results: The Quick Board single leg reaction time test failed to demonstrate a significant
difference in pre to post NMR testing for the affected leg (p=0.09), and no significant
difference in the unaffected leg (p=0.2). Also for the single leg reaction time test, there
was not a significant difference between the affected and unaffected legs at pre or post
testing, which was reflected in a 100% LSI at both pre and post testing. Reaction time on
the Quick Board double leg reaction test improved significantly from pre to post testing
(p<0.01). There was a statistically significant improvement for the affected leg (p<0.01),
as well as demonstrable improvement in LSI (3.2%), for the SFT single leg hop test.
There is a significant correlation between the Quick Board and SFT results in terms of
improvement on the affected leg, but the correlation was not seen using LSI.
Conclusion: The Quick Board computerized agility training system is able to measure
differences in affected leg reaction time from beginning to completion of an NMR
program, and demonstrates an improvement in affected leg reaction time. The change in
the affected leg over time on the Quick Board correlated with changes on the SFT hop
testing, but there was not a correlation between Quick Board and SFT hop testing in
terms of LSI. Quick Board agility training may be an effective assessment tool for ACLR
rehabilitation.
Key Terms: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, functional test, Quick Board,
reaction time.