Citation

Xie D, Urabe Y, Ochiai J, Kobayashi E, Maeda N. Knee 2013; 20(2): 85-89.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.knee.2012.07.003

PMID

22863418

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Many non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female basketball players occur during sidestep cutting. The objective of this study was to identify the phases of a sidestep cutting maneuver that place athletes at a greater risk for ACL injuries. METHODS: Ten healthy female collegiate basketball athletes were asked to perform sidestep cutting movements; the knee flexion and valgus angles as well as the electromyographic activity of the vastus lateral, vastus medial, biceps femoris, and semimembranosus muscles of the non-dominant leg were analyzed during the maneuver. RESULTS: The mean knee valgus angle peak tended to be greater during the stop phase than during the side-movement phase. The quadriceps activation during the stop phase was significantly higher than that during the side-movement phase. Moreover, the ratio of hamstring to quadriceps muscle activation during the stop phase was significantly lower than that during the side-movement phase, as assessed by surface electromyography. CONCLUSION: Female basketball athletes have a higher risk for ACL injury during the stop phase than during the side-movement phase of the sidestep cutting maneuver. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Language: en