Video analysis of trunk and knee motion during non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injury in female athletes: lateral trunk and knee abduction motion are combined components of the injury mechanism

Br J Sports Med. 2009 Jun;43(6):417-22. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2009.059162. Epub 2009 Apr 15.

Abstract

Background: The combined positioning of the trunk and knee in the coronal and sagittal planes during non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has not been previously reported.

Hypothesis: During ACL injury female athletes demonstrate greater lateral trunk and knee abduction angles than ACL-injured male athletes and uninjured female athletes.

Design: Cross-section control-cohort design.

Methods: Analyses of still captures from 23 coronal (10 female and 7 male ACL-injured players and 6 female controls) or 28 sagittal plane videos performing similar landing and cutting tasks. Significance was set at p < or = 0.05.

Results: Lateral trunk and knee abduction angles were higher in female compared to male athletes during ACL injury (p < or = 0.05) and trended toward being greater than female controls (p = 0.16, 0.13, respectively). Female ACL-injured athletes showed less forward trunk lean than female controls (mean (SD) initial contact (IC): 1.6 (9.3) degrees vs 14.0 (7.3) degrees, p < or = 0.01).

Conclusion: Female athletes landed with greater lateral trunk motion and knee abduction during ACL injury than did male athletes or control females during similar landing and cutting tasks.

Clinical relevance: Lateral trunk and knee abduction motion are important components of the ACL injury mechanism in female athletes as observed from video evidence of ACL injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament / physiopathology
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries*
  • Basketball / injuries*
  • Biomechanical Phenomena / physiology
  • Epidemiologic Methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Knee Injuries / physiopathology*
  • Knee Joint / physiopathology*
  • Range of Motion, Articular / physiology
  • Task Performance and Analysis
  • Video Recording
  • Young Adult