Landing Biomechanics During a Single-leg Landing With Lateral Trunk Obliquity in Female Athletes

Abstract

Background: Lateral trunk obliquity during landing is one of the characteristics of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes. Knee biomechanics during landing with lateral trunk obliquity may be different between female and male subjects. The purpose of the present study was to compare kinetics and kinematics in female subjects during landing with lateral trunk obliquity with those in male subjects.Methods: Fifteen female (age 22.0 ± 1.6 years) and 15 male subjects (age 21.7 ± 1.1 years) participated in this study. The subjects performed a single-leg landing from a 30-cm-high box. Subjects were instructed to keep inclining their trunk to landing leg side at 15° from vertical line. Kinetics and kinematics of their hip and knee joints were analyzed using a three-dimensional motion analysis system with a force plate and compared between female and male subjects.Results: There were no significant differences in the angle of the laterally inclined trunk at initial contact (IC) and at the time of peak vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) (P = 0.341, 0.363). The peak VGRF was smaller in female subjects than male subjects (P = 0.047). Hip adduction moment at the time of peak VGRF was significantly larger in female subjects than male subjects (P = 0.042). Hip external rotation of female subjects at IC was significantly larger than that of male subjects (P = 0.012). There were no differences in knee moments or kinematics between female and male subjects.Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicated that female athletes are considered to avoid excessive knee abduction moment during landing with lateral trunk obliquity by kinematic and kinetic changes in their hip joint. Therefore, sports-medicine specialists should take more notice of kinematics and kinetic behaviors around hip joint in order to prevent noncontact ACL injuries for female athletes.