Faculty Collaboration Database

The association of dorsiflexion flexibility on knee kinematics and kinetics during a drop vertical jump in healthy female athletes. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2015 Dec;23(12):3550-5

Date

08/13/2014

Pubmed ID

25112598

Pubmed Central ID

PMC4977993

DOI

10.1007/s00167-014-3222-z

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84948583513 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   70 Citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: While previous studies have examined the association between ankle dorsiflexion flexibility and deleterious landing postures, it is not currently known how landing kinetics are influenced by ankle dorsiflexion flexibility. The purpose of this study was to examine whether ankle dorsiflexion flexibility was associated with landing kinematics and kinetics that have been shown to increase the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in female athletes.

METHODS: Twenty-three female collegiate soccer players participated in a preseason screening that included the assessment of ankle dorsiflexion flexibility and lower-body kinematics and kinetics during a drop vertical jump task.

RESULTS: The results demonstrated that females with less ankle dorsiflexion flexibility exhibited greater peak knee abduction moments (r = -.442), greater peak knee abduction angles (r = .355), and less peak knee flexion angles (r = .385) during landing. The range of dorsiflexion flexibility for the current study was between 9° and 23° (mean = 15.0°; SD 3.9°).

CONCLUSION: Dorsiflexion flexibility may serve as a useful clinical measure to predict poor landing postures and external forces that have been associated with increased knee injury risk. Rehabilitation specialists can provide interventions aimed at improving dorsiflexion flexibility in order to ameliorate the impact of this modifiable factor on deleterious landing kinematics and kinetics in female athletes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Author List

Malloy P, Morgan A, Meinerz C, Geiser C, Kipp K

Authors

Christopher Geiser BS,MS Assistant Professor/Athletic Training Director in the Exercise Science department at Marquette University
Kristof Kipp BS,MS,PhD Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy department at Marquette University
Phillip Malloy in the CTSI department at Medical College of Wisconsin - CTSI
Carolyn M. Meinerz MD Assistant Professor in the Orthopaedic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Ankle Joint
Biomechanical Phenomena
Female
Humans
Kinetics
Knee
Knee Joint
Posture
Range of Motion, Articular
Soccer
Young Adult