Is visual reliance increased in athletes after ACL injury? A scoping review

Key Points

1. In addition to musculoskeletal trauma, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries often result in somatosensory deficits, which may lead patients to rely more heavily on visual input during dynamic tasks that challenge postural control (i.e. visual reliance).

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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are most commonly a musculoskeletal condition. However, individuals with ACL deficiency (ACL-D) and reconstruction (ACL-R) have been shown to have lingering somatosensory deficits, which may increase the risk of a second ACL injury. Due to this impaired somatosensation, these individuals may compensate by relying more heavily on visual input during dynamic tasks that challenge postural control (1-3).

The purpose of this scoping review was to describe assessment processes for visual reliance and determine whether visual reliance occurs during common assessments.

Individuals with ACL deficiency and reconstruction have been shown to have lingering somatosensory deficits, which may increase the risk of a second ACL injury.

To challenge ACL-R and ACL-D patients, dual-tasking should be performed during functional tasks (e.g. single leg stance) with the focus being on adding visual-cognitive tasks.

METHODS

• The investigators searched five electronic databases and included studies that examined the effects of visual condition on individuals with ACL-D and ACL-R.

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