EFFECTS OF FEMALE MATURATION ON THE LOWER EXTREMITY BIOMECHANICS DURING THE SIDE-STEP TASK

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most common knee injuries in sports (DeHaven & Lintner, 1986). Female athletes have demonstrated an increased susceptibility to ACL injuries compared to their male counterparts (Yu et al., 2005). The differences in neuromuscular performance during and after puberty may be important contributors to forces on the knee and altered biomechanics could potentially explain the increased risk of ACL injury in females (Quatman et al., 2006). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of female maturation on the lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during the side-step task