Lower Extremity Limb Symmetry Index in Individuals With Knee Soft Tissue Injuries: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives Knee soft tissue injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscal injuries, are common in young adults and may lead to chronic functional impairments. The limb symmetry index (LSI), which is calculated from functional tests like hop tests, is an important parameter in evaluating the functional recovery of patients treated with conservative rehabilitation. The objective of the study is to assess the lower extremity LSI in patients with conservatively treated knee soft tissue injuries and determine functional asymmetries between the injured and uninjured limbs. Material and Methods A cross-sectional observational study was performed among 44 subjects aged 20-29 who had a unilateral ACL or meniscal injury treated conservatively. Four hop tests: 6-meter crossover, triple crossover, lateral, and medial hops, were performed to measure each subject’s LSI. The data were analysed using paired and independent t-tests to compare LSI between limbs and by sex. Results This study found statistical differences ( p <0.05) in LSI between injured and uninjured limbs for all the hop tests. The average values of LSI were 82.48% for the 6-meter crossover, 85.34% for the triple crossover, 84.02% for the lateral, and 85.75% for the medial hop test, reflecting functional asymmetry. Differences based on sex were also observed, and males tended to have higher scores for performance for both limbs. Conclusion The results show that patients with conservatively treated knee soft tissue injuries have lower LSI, indicating ongoing functional impairment. The application of hop tests to assess LSI offers useful information for clinicians in making return-to-activity decisions and creating individualised rehabilitation programs. To achieve a more thorough assessment, further research, functional performance testing, and specialised biomechanical evaluations (such as motion analysis and electromyography) could be integrated.