Feasibility, reliability, and validity of the modified forward hop test after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction : double- instead of single-legged landing is reliable and results in greater hopping distance

Abstract

Objective:Toinvestigatethefeasibility,reliability,andvalidityoftheModifiedforwardhop(MFH)testinparticipantsafterACLreconstruction(ACLR).Design:Reliabilitystudy.Setting:AssessmentswereadministeredatdifferentclinicallocationsinGermanyandSwitzerlandbythesame2investigators.Participants:Forty-eightactiveindividualsparticipatedinthisstudy(N=48).MainOutcomeMeasures:TheparticipantsperformedMFHsandForwardhopsfordistanceinapredeterminedorder.ThefeasibilityoftheMFHwasquantifiedwithproportionsofsuccessfullyexecutedattemptsandPearson’sx2test.Itsreliabilitywasestimatedusingintraclasscorrelationcoefficient(ICC)andstandarderrorofmeasurement(SEM).TestvaliditywasexploredusingPearson’sproductmomentcorrelationanalyses.Results:Fewerfailedattemptswererecordedamongtheparticipants(age:30[Standarddeviation11]years;22women,26(13)monthspost-sur-gery)whencomparedwiththeForwardhopfordistancetest(25/288trials;9%vs72/288trials;25%).Within-sessionICCvalueswereexcellent(>0.95)forbothtypesofForwardhoptests,independentofthesideexamined.TheSEMvalueswerecomparablebetweentheModified(injured:5.6cm,uninjured:5.9cm)andtheclassicForwardhop(injured:4.3cm,uninjured:7.2cm).Conclusion:TheMFHisafeasible,reliable,andvalidtoolforjudgingneuromuscularperformanceafterACLR.Iftheaimofahopfordistanceincorporatesenhancedperceivedorreallandingsafety,landingonbothfeetshouldbeused.