OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of 2 gait retraining protocols on the gait patterns of patients with bone-patellar tendon-bone anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. DESIGN: Randomized control, repeated-measures design. SETTING: Private orthopedic center and research facility. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen patients with bone-patellar tendon-bone ACL reconstruction, randomly subdivided into 2 groups (group 1, n = 8; group 2, n = 8), and a healthy control group of 8 subjects. INTERVENTION: The 16 subjects with ACL reconstruction were randomly assigned to 2 different gait retraining protocols over a 6-week training interval: (1). a protocol using a predicted stride frequency calculated from the resonant frequency of a force-driven harmonic oscillator (FDHO) model or (2). a protocol using the preferred stride frequency (PSF). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gait analyses examining the lower-extremity kinematic, kinetic, and energetic gait patterns of each group. RESULTS: Gait retraining with the FDHO model showed improvements in lower-extremity positions, hip and knee extensor angular impulse, and work parameters. Gait retraining with the PSF demonstrated no statistical improvements. The FDHO training protocol facilitated a greater midstance knee range of motion (ROM) and greater rates of improvement for midstance ROM, hip extensor angular impulse, and concentric hip extensor work. CONCLUSIONS: Gait retraining with the resonant frequency of an FDHO model facilitated a greater recovery of gait function compared with training with the PSF.

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