Abstract
There is a lack of studies investigating gender differences in whole-body kinematics during single-leg landings from increasing vertical heights and horizontal distances. This study determined the main effects and interactions of gender, vertical height, and horizontal distance on whole-body joint kinematics during single-leg landings, and established whether these findings could explain the gender disparity in non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rate. Recreationally active males (n=6) and females (n=6) performed single-leg landings from a takeoff deck of vertical height of 20, 40, and 60 cm placed at a horizontal distance of 30, 50 and 70 cm from the edge of a force platform, while 3D kinematics and kinetics were simultaneously measured. It was determined that peak vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) and the ankle flexion angle exhibited significant gender differences (p=0.028, partial η(2)=0.40 and p=0.035, partial η(2)=0.37, respectively). Peak VGRF was significantly correlated to the ankle flexion angle (r= -0.59, p=0.04), hip flexion angle (r= -0.74, p=0.006), and trunk flexion angle (r= -0.59, p=0.045). Peak posterior ground reaction force (PGRF) was significantly correlated to the ankle flexion angle (r= -0.56, p=0.035), while peak knee abduction moment was significantly correlated to the knee flexion angle (r= -0.64, p=0.03). Rearfoot landings may explain the higher ACL injury rate among females. Higher plantar-flexed ankle, hip, and trunk flexion angles were associated with lower peak ground reaction forces, while higher knee flexion angle was associated with lower peak knee abduction moment, and these kinematics implicate reduced risk of non-contact ACL injury.
Highlights
Most non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur during activities involving single-leg landings (Boden et al, 2009)
The current study examines the relationships between three non-contact ACL injury risk predictor variables, namely, peak vertical ground reaction force (VGRF), peak posterior ground reaction force (PGRF), and peak knee abduction moment, and various single-leg landing biomechanical variables
VGRF and ankle plantar flexion angles compared to males (Table 2)
Summary
Most non-contact ACL injuries occur during activities involving single-leg landings (Boden et al, 2009). There are many single-leg landing studies in the literature (Self and Paine, 2001; Lephart et al, 2002; Fagenbaum and Darling, 2003; Hargrave et al, 2003; Ford et al, 2006; Russell et al, 2006; Nagano et al, 2007; Pappas et al, 2007; Schmitz et al, 2007; Lawrence III et al, 2008; Kiriyama et al, 2009; Shimokochi et al, 2009; Yeow et al, 2010) These studies explicate factors implicated in contributing to the risk of non-contact ACL injuries, as well as, biomechanical gender differences that possibly explain the gender disparity in non-contact ACL injury rate
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