A kinematic and kinetic analysis of college aged female basketball players during landing following a jump training program

Females incur a high rate of knee injuries, while playing the sport of basketball. Many females injure their anterior cruciate ligament, while landing from a jump. The three purposes of this study were: (1) to evaluate the kinetic and kinematic effects of two different arm positions, (Overhead and Anterior), while holding a basketball, during bilateral (BO, BA) and unilateral leg landing (UO, UA), from a.30 meter box; (2) to test the effect of a jump training program on landing characteristics and on lower extremity strength and vertical jump (3). Twenty female college aged recreational basketball players, (10 intervention, 10 control), participated in the study. A Qualisys four camera system, Biodex dynamometer, AMTI and Kistler force plates were used for analysis. Three way mixed procedure repeated measure ANOVA\u27s (2 x 2 x 4) (group x time x condition), were used to determine the differences between the landing conditions and between the control and intervention groups for the landing test over time. Paired t-tests were used to analyze the vertical jump and lower extremity strength for the intervention group. ^ Results. The UA landing condition produced longer time to peak moment z (Mz) positive (P = .010) and negative (P = .008), compared to BO. The intervention group demonstrated decreased peak landing force (Fz), following participation in the program (P \u3c .0001) and a slower rate to peak Fz/body weight. There were no significant improvements in the vertical jump (p = .6044) and average power (p = .6778) in the post test for the intervention group. Right knee peak extension torque increased at 180 degrees/sec (p = .0033) for the intervention group. ^ Conclusion. Single leg landing with arms held anterior may be less safe than landing with both legs with arms overhead. Participation in the jump training program resulted in increased in decreased landing forces, decreased rate to peak Fz, and improved right quadriceps strength.