Aim. Gait efficiency is used to evaluate energy consumption especially in patients with movement disorders. This study compared the physiological and mechanical measures of gait efficiency between patients with ACL reconstruction (ACLR) following rehabilitation and healthy controls and correlated among these measures. Methods. Seventeen patients with ACLR and sixteen healthy controls participated in the study. A 3D motion analysis system was used for collecting the mechanical measures while the physiological measures were collected after performing the 6-minute walking test. Results. MANOVA showed that the knee internal rotation, Physiological Cost Index (PCI) and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) increased and the speed of walking decreased significantly in the patients compared with the controls with no significant difference for the Biomechanical Efficiency Quotient (BEQ). There were significant positive correlations between each of the PCI & RPE and each of the BEQ, speed of walking and knee internal rotation in each group. Conclusion. There are alterations in both mechanical and physiological measures of gait efficiency in patients with ACLR following rehabilitation, clarifying the need for performing additional endurance as well as knee stability training programs. The positive correlations indicate that using either of the mechanical or physiological measures for evaluating gait efficiency is acceptable.
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