The Effect of Quality of Movement on the Single Hop Test in Soccer Players Aged 15-16 Years

Abstract

Sports injuries are one of the most common injuries in modern society. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is commonly injured in sports. Soccer is one of many sports where an ACL injury is likely to occur, due to inherent jumping and pivoting during participation. Abnormal movement patterns have been suggested as a risk factor for knee injuries, which lead to the development of the step-down test. The Single Leg Hop for Distance test is used to assess functional performance in individuals with an ACL injury or reconstruction. The purpose of the current study was to determine if there are differences in hop test distances according to scores on the step-down test. A second purpose is to determine the relationship between hop test distances and height. Sixty-one males and sixty-one females between 15 and 16 years who participated in a club soccer program participated in the study. The Hop test and the step-down test were administered to the subjects. Mean hop distance for males was 172.89 cm (SD = 18.27) and the mean hop distance for females was 146.88 cm (SD = 14.63). For both males and females, there were no differences in hop distances between the left and right lower extremity (LE). There were no differences in hop distances according to classification of the step-down test for males. Females classified as good by the step-down test hopped farther than females classified as poor. There were no relationships between distances in the hop test and height in females (r = .23 for the left LE; .21 for the right LE). There was a low relationship between distances in the hop test and height in males (r = .46 for the left LE; .39 for the right LE). Clinicians may utilize this information for goal setting and objective testing during rehabilitation.