Changes In Lower-extremity Joint Kinematics Due To Joint Cooling During A Single Leg Drop Landing Jump

Abstract

Sex differences in joint kinematics during landing tasks are well established. However, combinations of other factors such as joint cooling and limited visual information with sex differences are unknown. PURPOSE: To observe combined effects of joint cooling and limited visual input (without seeing the landing spot) in healthy people during a single leg drop landing. METHODS: Lower-extremity joint kinematics data were recorded from twenty healthy young adults (10 males and 10 females) during single leg drop landings from a 30 cm height box. Subjects completed three data collection sessions on three separate days that were separated by at least 2 days. Joint kinematic data (right leg only) using 3D motion analysis system (sampling rate: 200 Hz) were recorded at baseline, 0-, 15-, and 30-min post treatment (ankle joint cooling, knee joint cooling, or control). Joint cooling was applied to the right leg for 20 min. In each time interval, subjects performed three successful landings with and without seeing the landing spot: dropping down on the right leg onto the force platform followed by an immediate vertical jump. Joint kinematic data were smoothed, time-normalised, and then averaged across the three trials. Peak values of each joint angle in the sagittal and frontal plane were analysed. Four-way (treatment × time × vision × sex) mixed model ANOVAs and Tukey-Kramer post hoc tests were performed (p<0.05). RESULTS: The main observations were as follows. Regardless of the vision and time, females under the treatment of knee joint cooling landed with (1) 2° more dorsiflexed (p=0.02) and 3° more knee flexed (p<0.01) position, compared to the other treatments; (2) 3° and 4° increased their hip flexion (respectively), compared to the control (p<0.001); (3) with less knee valgus position, compared to the ankle joint cooling (3°, p<0.001) and knee joint cooling (2°, p=0.003). Regardless of the vision, time, and treatment, females landed with 3° hip adduction while males landed with slight (1°) hip abduction (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Limited visual information (not seeing the landing spot) during landings does not appear to change lower-extremity joint kinematics. Knee joint cooling may change general landing patterns in females compared to males. Supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant (2014S1A5A8019804).