The Effects of Aerial Movements on Lower Extremity Injury Risk Factors

ACL injuries are very prevalent among athletes, more so in females than males. Reducing the amount of ACL injury will reduce pain for athletes, increase training time, reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis, and reduce hospital and therapy related costs. Commonly studied ACL injury mechanisms typically resemble a jump, land, jump protocol. This study investigates how performing aerial movements with a spin in comparison to a normal baseline drop landing relates to ACL injury risk factors. Twelve uninjured, active female college students participated in the study, which required a series of drop-landings from a 40 cm tall block placed 15-20 cm away from bilateral force plates. Participants started each drop landing jump with their dominant leg, then jumped forwards or with a 180 degree spin to the left or right. The spin to the left stimulated internal rotation of the tibia of the dominant leg, while the jump to the right stimulated external rotation. Peak knee valgus, flexion, and internal rotation angles had significant main effects (