Effects of Footwear on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Forces during Landing in Young Adult Females

Abstract

Rates of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in young people have increased markedly over the past two decades, with females experiencing greater growth in their risk compared to males. In this study, we determined the effects of low- and high-support athletic footwear on ACL loads during a standardized drop–land–lateral jump in 23 late-/post-pubertal females. Each participant performed the task unshod, wearing low- (Zaraca, ASICS) or high- (Kayano, ASICS) support shoes (in random order), and three-dimensional body motions, ground-reaction forces, and surface electromyograms were synchronously acquired. These data were then used in a validated computational model of ACL loading. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping paired t-tests were used to compare ACL loads between footwear conditions during the stance phase of the task. Participants generated lower ACL forces during push-off when shod (Kayano: 624 N at 71–84% of stance; Zaraca: 616 N at 68–86% of stance) compared to barefoot (770 N and 740 N, respectively). No significant differences in ACL force were observed between the task performed wearing low- compared to high-support shoes. Compared to barefoot, both shoe types significantly lowered push-off phase peak ACL forces, potentially lowering risk of ACL injury during performance of similar tasks in sport and recreation.

Limiting the Use of Electromyography and Ground Reaction Force Data Changes the Magnitude and Ranking of Modelled Anterior Cruciate Ligament Forces

“…Fourth, the drop–land–jump was performed barefoot, while most athletic tasks are performed shod. Our previous study [ 35 ] did reveal footwear-specific effects on ACL loading, although these were confined primarily to the propulsive (secondary) phase of the drop-land-jump and not during landing, which is when ACL injuries usually occur [ 62 ]. Fifth, data were acquired from participants performing the various tasks in a laboratory setting.…”

“…Finally, we hypothesised the rank order of participants based on the magnitude of their ACL forces would be different between modelling configurations, indicating the sensitivity of ACL loading to subject-specific muscle activation and external loading patterns. To achieve the aim of the study, we perform a secondary analysis of a previously modelled drop–land–jump task [ 35 ]. We assumed an EMG-informed neural mode in combination with three-dimensional (3D) GRF as a reference configuration.…”

Refined Detection and Classification of Knee Ligament Injury Based on ResNet Convolutional Neural Networks

“…This ligament is vulnerable to tears or strains when subjected to the high-impact and dynamic movements often required in these sports. The incidence of ACL injuries is not confined to professional athletes alone; they can affect individuals of all ages and activity levels [3]. With thousands of cases reported annually in many countries, ACL injuries continue to be a significant concern in the field of musculoskeletal health, necessitating continued research and efforts in prevention and treatment.…”

Effectiveness of a rehabilitation protocol after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in returning to match rhythm: a case study of a professional soccer player

“…Furthermore, differences in short-term sport-specific functional recovery after primary ACL reconstruction have been observed in adolescent athletes, underscoring the need for tailored rehabilitation protocols based on individual characteristics and sporting demands (Kemper et al, 2023). The influence of footwear on ACL forces during landing has also been investigated, with shod participants generating lower ACL forces compared to barefoot individuals, suggesting a potential role of footwear in injury prevention strategies (Akhundov et al, 2022).…”