The Relationship of Open- and Closed-Kinetic-Chain Rate of Force Development With Jump Performance Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Purpose : To determine between-limbs differences in isometric rate of force development (RFD) measured during open- (OKC) and closed-kinetic-chain (CKC) strength testing and establish which method had the strongest relationship to single-leg vertical-jump performance and knee mechanics after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods : Subjects (n = 19) 1 to 5 years from ACL reconstruction performed isometric knee extensions (OKC), unilateral isometric midthigh pulls (CKC), and single-leg vertical jumps on the ACL-involved and -noninvolved limbs. Between-limbs differences were assessed using paired t tests, and the relationship between RFD, jump performance, and knee mechanics was assessed using correlation coefficients ( r ; P ≤ .05). Results : There were significant between-limbs differences in OKC RFD ( P = .008, d = −0.69) but not CKC RFD. OKC RFD in the ACL-involved limb had a strong association with jump height ( r = .64, P = .003), knee-joint power ( r = .72, P < .001), and peak knee-flexion angle ( r = .72, P = .001). CKC RFD in the ACL-involved limb had a strong association with jump height ( r = .65, P = .004) and knee-joint power ( r = .67, P = .002) but not peak knee-flexion angle ( r = .40, P = .09). Conclusions : While both OKC and CKC RFD were strongly related to jump performance and knee-joint power, OKC RFD was able to detect between-limbs RFD asymmetries and was strongly related to knee-joint kinematics. These findings indicate that isometric knee extension may be optimal for assessing RFD after ACL reconstruction.