IS FRONTAL PLANE PROJECTION ANGLE RELATED TO STIFF LANDING PATTERNS? AN ANALYSIS OF DROP JUMP AND TUCK JUMP TASKS

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between frontal plane knee projection angle (FPPA) and sagittal (hip and knee flexion) plane landing kinematic measures during a drop jump (DVJ) and a tuck jump assessment (TJA) test in male youth football players. Eighty-one post-pubertal male footballers were recorded performing DVJ and TJA tasks, and FPPA as well as hip (HF) and knee (KF) flexion angles at peak flexion were retrospectively assessed. The main results show that players with greater knee FPPA (valgus) display lower HF values than players with no knee valgus alignment during DVJ landings, but not during TJA. A DVJ pattern which exhibits knee valgus and limited HF angles may increase the risk of knee injury and thus, strategies for hip strengthening and technique modification should be applied to players with this mechanical profile