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. 2021 Mar-Apr;29(2):129-140.
doi: 10.1080/15438627.2020.1721290. Epub 2020 Feb 2.

Longitudinal assessments of balance and jump-landing performance before and after anterior cruciate ligament injuries in collegiate athletes

Boyi Dai  1 , Jacob S Layer  1 , Nicole M Bordelon  1 , Meghan L Critchley  1 , Sydne E LaCroix  1 , Ana C George  1 , Ling Li  1 , Jeremy D Ross  2 , Megan A Jensen  2
Affiliations

Longitudinal assessments of balance and jump-landing performance before and after anterior cruciate ligament injuries in collegiate athletes

Boyi Dai et al. Res Sports Med. 2021 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

The purpose was to quantify the effect of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on balance and jump-landing performance and bilateral asymmetries. Among 500 collegiate athletes who performed a reaching test and a double-leg counter-movement jump-landing test at baseline, 8 male and 6 female athletes suffered ACL injuries. In the follow-up, they performed the reaching test 3 and 6 months after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) and the jump-landing test 6 months after ACLR. Less reaching distances for the injured leg and increased reaching distance asymmetries were observed 3 and 6 months after ACLR compared to baseline. Less peak jumping and landing forces for the injured leg and increased jumping and landing force asymmetries were found 6 months after ACLR compared to baseline. The decreased performance of the injured leg and increased asymmetries may contribute to the high ACL re-injury rates. Baseline assessments would be useful for establishing an individual's pre-injury performance.

Keywords: Strength; acl; asymmetry; biomechanics; re-injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure statement

The authors have no financial or personal conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The counter-movement jump-landing test (top) and lower extremity anterior reaching test (bottom). For the reaching test, the stance leg is the one being tested.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Violin-plots of the changes in reaching distances and asymmetries from baseline to 6 months after ACLR
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Violin-plots plots of the changes in jump height, jumping forces, and asymmetries from baseline to 6 months after ACLR
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Violin-plots plots of the changes in landing forces and asymmetries from baseline to 6 months after ACLR
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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