Use of double leg injury screening to assess single leg biomechanical risk variables

Abstract

ObjectivesThe purpose of this article was to determine if differences in kinematic and kinetic variables observed in a double-leg screen carried over to a single-leg task. DesignWe used a case-control design with grouping based on performance during a double-leg jump landing. SettingAll participants were selected from a large university setting and testing was performed in a biomechanics laboratory. ParticipantsParticipants were females between 18 and 25 years of age with at least high school varsity experience in one or more of the following sports: soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, rugby, basketball, or team handball. Main outcome measuresPrimary outcome measures were knee angles in the frontal and sagittal planes as well as vertical ground reaction force (vGRF). ResultsThere were significant between group differences in peak knee flexion and knee flexion displacement during both the double and single-leg tasks, however between group differences for peak knee valgus and knee valgus displacement noted in the double-leg task were not observed in the single-leg task. vGRF was significantly different in the single-leg task but not the double-leg task. ConclusionA double leg screening may not provide complete identification of risk of injury during sports requiring single leg tasks.