Abstract
Athletes exposed to rapid maneuvers need a high level of dynamic knee stability and robustness, while also controlling whole body movement, to decrease the risk of non‐contact knee injury. The effects of high‐level athletic training on such measures of movement control have not, however, been thoroughly evaluated. This study investigated whether elite athletes (who regularly perform knee‐specific neuromuscular training) show greater dynamic knee robustness and/or different movement strategies than non‐athletic controls, in relation to overall knee function. Thirty‐nine women (19 athletes, 20 controls) performed standardized rebound side hops (SRSH) while a motion capture system synchronized with two force plates registered three‐dimensional trunk, hip, and knee joint angles and moments. Dynamic knee robustness was evaluated using finite helical axis (FHA) inclination angles extracted from knee rotation intervals of 10°, analyzed with independent t tests. Angle and moment curves were analyzed with inferential methods for functional data. Athletes had superior knee function (less laxity, greater hop performances, and strength) but presented similar FHA inclination angles to controls. Movement strategies during the landing phase differed; athletes presented larger (a) hip flexion angles (during 9%‐29% of the phase), (b) hip adduction moments (59%‐99%), (c) hip internal rotation moments (83%‐89%), and (d) knee flexion moments (79%‐93%). Thus, elite athletes may have a greater ability than non‐athletes to keep the knee robust while performing SRSH more efficiently through increased engagement of the hip. However, dynamic knee robustness associated with lower FHA inclination angles still show room for improvement, thus possibly decreasing knee injury risk.
Highlights
Dynamic knee stability has been defined as the ability to keep the knee joint stable when subjected to rapidly changing loads.[1]
Elite athletes and CTRL had no significant difference in range of knee motion, and an equal amount of finite helical axis (FHA) were generated in the groups
Performances, and quadriceps strength) than non‐athletic controls still present similar dynamic knee robustness as the controls during sport‐mimicking standardized rebound side hops (SRSH) landings. This is true despite that athletes demonstrated different movement strategies with larger hip flexion angles, hip frontal and transversal plane moments, and knee flexion moments, during specific intervals of the landing phase
Summary
Dynamic knee stability has been defined as the ability to keep the knee joint stable when subjected to rapidly changing loads.[1]. Non‐contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury commonly occurs in such maneuvers with multi‐plane knee loading in weight‐bearing with the knee in a relatively straight, abducted, and rotated position.[3,4,5] The ability to maintain dynamic knee stability in sport‐similar tasks is of utmost importance among athletes Such dynamic knee stability is maintained during dynamically challenging tasks when frontal and transversal plane motions are minimal.[6,7] These movements have shown to decrease the strain placed on the ACL,[8,9,10] with obvious implications for injury prevention
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