Abstract
The risk of knee injuries in freestyle skiing athletes that perform aerials is high. The internal stresses in the knee joints of these athletes cannot easily be directly measured. In order to ascertain the mechanical response of knee joints during the landing phase, and to explore the mechanism of damage to the cartilage and ligaments, a finite element model of the knee joint was established. Three successful landing conditions (neutral, backward, or forward landing) from a triple kicker were analyzed. The results demonstrate that the risk of cruciate ligament damage during a neutral landing was lowest. A forward landing carried medium risk, while backward landing was of highest risk. Backward and forward landing carried risk of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), respectively. The magnitude of stress on the meniscus and cartilage varied for all three landing scenarios. Stress was largest during neutral landing and least in backward landing, while forward landing resulted in a medium level of stress. The results also provide the basis for training that is scientifically robust so as to reduce the risk of injury and assist in the development of a professional knee joint protector.
Highlights
In the absence of trauma, the knee joint can operate effectively for decades while being subjected to high mechanical loads
Stress was largest during neutral landing and least in backward landing, while forward landing resulted in a medium level of stress
Other studies have shown that when the knee joint flexes at a certain angle, shear or torsion stress caused by instantaneous movement of the tibia may damage the cruciate ligaments [2,3], while instantaneous inversion or eversion of the knee may cause the medial or lateral collateral ligaments to be damaged [4,5]
Summary
In the absence of trauma, the knee joint can operate effectively for decades while being subjected to high mechanical loads. The rate of knee joint injury in freestyle skiing aerialists in Chinese national team is close to 85% and higher in retired athletes. Studies have shown that instantaneous impact in the vertical direction will damage the cartilage of the knee joint, while long-term repeated impact will cause strain damage to the stress concentration region of the cartilage [1]. The athletes’ ankle joints are essentially locked in snowshoes, which do not provide sufficient cushioning at the moment of landing, resulting in greater impact force to be absorbed by the knee joints. For these reasons, freestyle skiing aerialists suffer a high rate of knee injuries
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