Effects of a soccer-specific vertical jump on lower extremity landing kinematics

Abstract

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury frequently occurs in female soccer athletes during deceleration movements such as landings. In soccer, landings mostly occur following jumping headers. Little research has been done to determine the mechanics that follow and how they compare to standard drop vertical jumps (DVJ). The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in kinematics between the DVJ and the soccer-specific vertical jump (SSVJ) in female soccer athletes to better assess the sport-specific risk for ACL injury. A secondary aim was to compare second landings (L2) to first landings (L1). Eight female recreational soccer athletes performed DVJs and SSVJs initiated from a 31 ​cm height. Motion capture was performed during landings and data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. SSVJs produced less peak hip flexion (p ​= ​0.03) and less peak knee flexion (p ​= ​0.002) than DVJs. SSVJs also demonstrated increased ankle plantarflexion at initial contact (IC) than DVJs (p ​= ​0.005). L2s produced less peak hip (p ​= ​0.007) and knee flexion (p ​= ​0.002) than L1s. SSVJs and L2s displayed a more erect landing posture than the DVJs and L1s at the hip and knee, a known ACL risk factor. The significant results between jump styles show that the SSVJ displays mechanics that are different from the DVJ. The SSVJ may be a better sport-specific screening tool for ACL injury mechanisms than the DVJ in soccer athletes as it has a more direct translation to the sport.

Keywords

ACL / Female soccer athletes / Jump landing / Kinematics / Injury mechanisms

References

[[1]] L.C.S. Mihata, A.I. Beutler, B.P. Boden. Comparing the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury in collegiate lacrosse, soccer, and basketball players: implications for anterior cruciate ligament mechanism and prevention. Am J Sports Med, 34 (6) ( 2006), pp. 899-904, DOI: 10.1177/0363546505285582

[[2]] C.V. Nagelli, T.E. Hewett. Should return to sport be delayed until 2 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction? biological and functional considerations. Sports Med, 47 (2) ( 2017), pp. 221-232, DOI: 10.1007/s40279-016-0584-z

[[3]] L.S. Lohmander, P.M. Englund, L.L. Dahl, E.M. Roos. The long-term consequence of anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus injuries: Osteoarthritis. Am J Sports Med, 35 (10) ( 2007), pp. 1756-1770, DOI: 10.1177/0363546507307396

[[4]] B.P. Boden, F.T. Sheehan, J.S. Torg, T.E. Hewett. Non-contact ACL Injuries: Mechanisms and Risk Factors. J Am Acad Orthop Surg, 18 (9) ( 2010), pp. 520-527, DOI: 10.5435/00124635-201009000-00003

[[5]] T.E. Hewett, G.D. Myer, K.R. Ford. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes: Part 1, mechanisms and risk factors. Am J Sports Med, 34 (2) ( 2006), pp. 299-311, DOI: 10.1177/0363546505284183

[[6]] P. Renstrom, A. Ljungqvist, E. Arendt, et al.. Non-contact ACL injuries in female athletes: an International Olympic Committee current concepts statement. Br J Sports Med, 42 (6) ( 2008), pp. 394-412, DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2008.048934

[[7]] B. Yu, W.E. Garrett. Mechanisms of non-contact ACL injuries. Br J Sports Med, 41 (Suppl 1) ( 2007), pp. i47-i51, DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2007.037192

[[8]] B.P. Boden, G.S. Dean, J.A. Feagin, W.E. Garrett Jr.. Mechanisms of anterior cruciate ligament injury. Orthopedics, 23 (6) ( 2000), pp. 573-578, DOI: 10.3928/0147-7447-20000601-15

[[9]] P. Wong, Y. Hong. Soccer injury in the lower extremities. Br J Sports Med, 39 (8) ( 2005), pp. 473-482, DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2004.015511

[[10]] R. Bakker, S. Tomescu, E. Brenneman, G. Hangalur, A. Laing, N. Chandrashekar. Effect of sagittal plane mechanics on ACL strain during jump landing. J Orthop Res, 34 (9) ( 2016), pp. 1636-1644, DOI: 10.1002/jor.23164

[[11]] J.D. Chappell, R.A. Creighton, C. Giuliani, et al.. Kinematics and electromyography of landing preparation in vertical stop-jump: risks for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury. Am J Sports Med, 35 (2) ( 2007), pp. 235-241, DOI: 10.1177/0363546506294077

[[12]] A.M. Joseph, C.L. Collins, N.M. Henke, et al.. A multisport epidemiologic comparison of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in high school athletics. J Athl Train, 48 (6) ( 2013), pp. 810-817, DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-48.6.03

[[13]] B. Malfait, B. Dingenen, A. Smeets, et al.. Knee and hip joint kinematics predict quadriceps and hamstrings neuromuscular activation patterns in drop jump landings. PLoS ONE, 11 (4) ( 2016), Article e0153737, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153737

[[14]] C.D. Pollard, S.M. Sigward, C.M. Powers. Limited hip and knee flexion during landing is associated with increased frontal plane knee motion and moments. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon), 25 (2) ( 2010), pp. 142-146, DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2009.10.005

[[15]] S.J. Shultz, A.-D. Nguyen, M.D. Leonard, R.J. Schmitz. Thigh strength and activation as predictors of knee biomechanics during a drop jump task. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 41 (4) ( 2009), pp. 857-866, DOI: 10.1249/mss.0b013e3181e3b3f

[[16]] K.A. Taylor, M.E. Terry, G.M. Utturkar, et al.. Measurement of in vivo anterior cruciate ligament strain during dynamic jump landing. J Biomech, 44 (3) ( 2011), pp. 365-371, DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2010.10.028

[[17]] C.H. Yeow, P.V. Lee, J.C. Goh. An investigation of lower extremity energy dissipation strategies during single-leg and double-leg landing based on sagittal and frontal plane biomechanics. Hum Mov Sci, 30 (3) ( 2011), pp. 624-635, DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2010.11.010

[[18]] M.J. Decker, M.R. Torry, D.J. Wyland, W.I. Sterett, J.R. Steadman. Gender differences in lower extremity kinematics, kinetics and energy absorption during landing. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon), 18 (7) ( 2003), pp. 662-669, DOI: 10.1016/s0268-0033(03)00090-1

[[19]] M. Leppänen, K. Pasanen, T. Krosshaug, et al.. Sagittal Plane Hip, Knee, and Ankle Biomechanics and the Risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Prospective Study. Orthop J Sports Med, 5 (12) ( 2017), pp. 105-138, DOI: 10.1177/2325967117745487

[[20]] R.A. Malinzak, S.M. Colby, D.T. Kirkendall, et al.. A comparison of knee joint motion patterns between men and women in selected athletic tasks. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon), 16 (5) ( 2001), pp. 438-445, DOI: 10.1016/s0268-0033(01)00019-5

[[21]] J.D. Chappell, B. Yu, D.T. Kirkendall, B. Yu, W.E. Garrett. A comparison of knee kinetics between male and female recreational athletes in stop-jump tasks. Am J Sports Med, 30 (2) ( 2002), pp. 261-267, DOI: 10.1177/03635465020300021901

[[22]] T.E. Hewett, G.D. Myer. The mechanistic connection between the trunk, knee, and anterior cruciate ligament injury. Exerc Sport Sci Rev, 39 (4) ( 2011), pp. 161-166, DOI: 10.1097/jes.0b013e3182297439

[[23]] M.F. Joseph, M. Rahl, J. Sheehan, et al.. Timing of lower extremity frontal plane motion differs between female and male athletes during a landing task. Am J Sports Med, 39 (7) ( 2011), pp. 1517-1521, DOI: 10.1177/0363546510397175

[[24]] S.M. Sigward, C.D. Pollard, C.M. Powers. The influence of sex and maturation on landing biomechanics: implications for anterior cruciate ligament injury. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 22 (4) ( 2012), pp. 502-509, DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01254.x

[[25]] B. Dai, D. Mao, W.E. Garrett, et al.. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries in soccer: Loading mechanisms, risk factors, and prevention programs. J Sport Health Sci, 3 (4) ( 2014), pp. 299-306, DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2014.06.002

[[26]] G. DeMorat, P. Weinhold, T. Blackburn, S. Chudik, W. Garrett. Aggressive quadriceps loading can induce noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury. Am J Sports Med, 32 (2) ( 2004), pp. 477-483, DOI: 10.1177/0363546503258928

[[27]] J. Bencke, P. Aagaard, M.K. Zebis.Muscle activation during ACL injury risk movements in young female athletes: a narrative review. Front Physiol, 9 ( 2018), p. 445, DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00445

[[28]] C.F. Babbs. Biomechanics of heading a soccer ball: implications for player safety. Sci. World J., 1 ( 2001), pp. 281-322, DOI: 10.1100/tsw.2001.56

[[29]] J. Hashemi, R. Breighner, N. Chandrashekar, et al.. Hip extension, knee flexion paradox: a new mechanism for non-contact ACL injury. J Biomech, 44 (4) ( 2011), pp. 577-585, DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2010.11.013

[[30]] L.-C. Tsai, Y.-A. Ko, K.E. Hammond, J.W. Xerogeanes, G.L. Warren, C.M. Powers. Increasing hip and knee flexion during a drop-jump task reduces tibiofemoral shear and compressive forces: implications for ACL injury prevention training. J Sports Sci, 35 (24) ( 2017), pp. 2405-2411, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2016.1271138

[[31]] A.S. Fox, J. Bonacci, S.G. McLean, M. Spittle,N. Saunders. What is normal? female lower limb kinematic profiles during athletic tasks used to examine anterior cruciate ligament injury risk: a systematic review. Sports Med, 44 (6) ( 2014), pp. 815-832, DOI: 10.1007/s40279-014-0168-8

[[32]] T.E. Hewett, G.D. Myer, K.R. Ford, et al.. Biomechanical measures of neuromuscular control and valgus loading of the knee predict anterior cruciate ligament injury risk in female athletes: a prospective study. Am J Sports Med, 33 (4) ( 2005), pp. 492-501, DOI: 10.1177/0363546504269591

[[33]] N.A. Bates, K.R. Ford, G.D. Myer, T.E. Hewett. Impact differences in ground reaction force and center of mass between the first and second landing phases of a drop vertical jump and their implications for injury risk assessment. J Biomech, 46 ( 2013), pp. 1237-1241, DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2013.02.024

[[34]] N.A. Bates, K.R. Ford, G.D. Myer, T.E. Hewett. Kinetic and kinematic differences between first and second landings of a drop vertical jump task: Implications for injury risk assessments. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon), 28 (4) ( 2013), pp. 459-466, DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2013.02.013

[[35]] R. Butler, J. Willson, D. Fowler, R.M. Queen. Gender Differences in Landing Mechanics Vary Depending on the Type of Landing. Clin J Sport Med, 23 (1) ( 2013), pp. 52-57, DOI: 10.1097/jsm.0b013e318259efa0

[[36]] J.M. Avedesian, L.W. Judge, H. Wang, D.C. Dickin. Kinetic analysis of unilateral landings in female volleyball players after a dynamic and combined dynamic-static warm-up. J Strength Cond Res, 33 (6) ( 2019), pp. 1524-1533, DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000002736

[[37]] M. Leppänen, K. Pasanen, U.M. Kujala, et al.. Stiff landings are associated with increased ACL injury risk in young female basketball and floorball players. Am J Sports Med, 45 (2) ( 2017), pp. 386-393, DOI: 10.1177/0363546516665810

[[38]] E.F. Whyte, P. Kennelly, O. Milton, C. Richter, S. O'Connor, K.A. Moran. The effects of limb dominance and a short term, high intensity exercise protocol on both landings of the vertical drop jump: implications for the vertical drop jump as a screening tool. Sports Biomech, 17 (4) ( 2018), pp. 541-553, DOI: 10.1080/14763141.2017.1371215

[[39]] B. Dai, M.L. Stephenson, S.M. Ellis, M.R. Donohue, X. Ning, Q. Zhu. Concurrent tactile feedback provided by a simple device increased knee flexion and decreased impact ground reaction forces during landing. J Appl Biomech, 32 (3) ( 2016), pp. 248-253, DOI: 10.1123/jab.2015-0220

[[40]] J. Larwa, C. Stoy, R.S. Chafetz, M. Boniello, C. Franklin.Stiff landings, core stability, and dynamic knee valgus: a systematic review on documented anterior cruciate ligament ruptures in male and female athletes. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 18 (7) ( 2021), p. 3826, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073826

[[41]] J.T. Blackburn, D.A. Padua. Influence of trunk flexion on hip and knee joint kinematics during a controlled drop landing. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon), 23 (3) ( 2008), pp. 313-319, DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2007.10.003

[[42]] J.T. Blackburn, D.A. Padua. Sagittal-plane trunk position, landing forces, and quadriceps electromyographic activity. J Athl Train, 44 (2) ( 2009), pp. 174-179, DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-44.2.174

[[43]] C.-F. Lin, H. Liu, M.T. Gros, P. Weinhold, W.E. Garrett, B. Yu. Biomechanical risk factors of non-contact ACL injuries: A stochastic biomechanical modeling study. J Sport Health Sci, 1 (1) ( 2012), pp. 36-42, DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2012.01.001

[[44]] T.C. Sell, C.M. Ferris, J.P. Abt, et al.. Predictors of proximal tibia anterior shear force during a vertical stop-jump. J Orthop Res, 25 (12) ( 2007), pp. 1589-1597, DOI: 10.1002/jor.20459

[[45]] C.E. Quatman, C.C. Quatman-Yates, T.E. Hewett. A “plane” explanation of anterior cruciate ligament injury mechanisms: a systematic review. Sports Med, 40 (9) ( 2010), pp. 729-746, DOI: 10.2165/11534950-000000000-00000

[[46]] H. Koga, A. Nakamae, Y. Shima, R. Bahr, T. Krosshaug. Hip and ankle kinematics in noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury situations: video analysis using model-based image matching. Am J Sports Med, 46 (2) ( 2018), pp. 333-340, DOI: 10.1177/0363546517732750

[[47]] M. Waldén, T. Krosshaug, J. Bjørneboe, T.E. Andersen, O. Faul, M. Hägglund. Three distinct mechanisms predominate in non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injuries in male professional football players: a systematic video analysis of 39 cases. Br J Sports Med, 49 (22) ( 2015), pp. 1452-1460, DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2014-094573