Abstract
BackgroundThe purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between ankle joint laxity and general joint laxity (GJL) in relation to the menstrual cycle, which was divided into four phases based on basal body temperature and ovulation, assessed using an ovulation kit.Methods Participants were 14 female college students (21–22 years) with normal menstrual cycles (cis gender). Anterior drawer stress to a magnitude of 120 N was applied for all participants. Anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) length was measured as the linear distance (mm) between its points of attachment on the lateral malleolus and talus using ultrasonography. Data on ATFL length from each subject were used to calculate each subject’s normalized length change with anterior drawer stress (AD%). The University of Tokyo method was used for evaluation of GJL. AD% and GJL were measured once in each menstrual phase.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between AD% in each phase. GJL score was significantly higher in the ovulation and luteal phases compared with the early follicular phase. AD% and GJL showed a positive correlation with each other in the ovulation phase.ConclusionsAlthough it is unclear whether estrogen receptors are present in the ATFL, the present study suggests that women with high GJL scores might be more sensitive to the effects of estrogen, resulting in ATFL length change in the ovulation phase.
Highlights
It was previously reported that the frequency of sports injuries in women is higher than that in men, suggesting a relationship between the menstrual cycle and sports injury [1, 2]
The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between ankle joint laxity and general joint laxity (GJL) during the menstrual cycle, divided into four phases based on basal body temperature (BBT) and ovulation, assessed using an ovulation kit
GJL score was significantly higher in the ovulation (p = 0.016) and luteal phases (p = 0.026) compared with the early follicular phase (Table 3)
Summary
It was previously reported that the frequency of sports injuries in women is higher than that in men, suggesting a relationship between the menstrual cycle and sports injury [1, 2]. Several studies [3,4,5,6,7] investigating the timing of injury of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee in relation to the menstrual cycle reported that ACL injuries often occur during the follicular [3, 5] and ovulation phases [4, 6]. It has been reported that estrogen receptors are present in the human ACL [8], and that female hormones affect the tissue structure of the ACL [9]. In vivo studies have reported that anterior knee laxity [10] increases during ovulation [11] and luteal phases [12]. Previous studies have investigated female hormone levels in relation to plantar. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between ankle joint laxity and general joint laxity (GJL) in relation to the menstrual cycle, which was divided into four phases based on basal body temperature and ovulation, assessed using an ovulation kit
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