In fact, the control group bilaterally had more frontal plane knee motion during a drop vertical jump (DVJ) test and a higher probability of a high peak knee abduction moment (pKAM) than players who had undergone ACL reconstruction. A study comparing women football players approximately 18 months after ACL reconstruction and healthy sex/age/skill level-matched controls found no differences between groups in asymmetry. However, these asymmetries may not be unique to women after ACL reconstruction. For women, asymmetries or differences between legs in movement patterns, particularly knee abduction, have been implicated in second ACL injury risk. īoth men and women commonly have asymmetries in strength and functional performance after ACL reconstruction. One year after ACL reconstruction women have shown larger quadriceps strength asymmetries, as well as lower self-reported knee function than men. Although it is unclear if there are differences in second ACL injury incidence based on sex, there may be differences in recovery of knee function after ACL reconstruction. Women football players are at a 2–3 times higher risk for an ACL injury compared to their male counterparts, with the risk for women collegiate football players in the United States being almost four times higher. These results from clinically feasible measures provide some suggestions for clinicians to consider during ACL reconstruction rehabilitation to enhance performance.ĭifferences in knee injury incidence, particularly anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury incidence, exist between men and women football players. The results support previous findings that women land in more knee valgus than men, but also found that men may have larger asymmetries in knee valgus. The results indicate that women perform worse on the tuck jump assessment than men. The qualitative DVJ analysis found that more women (48%) had poor knee control compared to men (11%, P < 0.01). Women also landed in less hip flexion ( P = 0.01) and ankle dorsiflexion ( P = 0.01) than men. There was no difference in pKAM (interaction n.s.).

The quantitative analysis of the DVJ found that men had greater asymmetries between limbs, but women landed bilaterally in more knee valgus (interaction P = 0.04, main effect of sex P = 0.02). Women had higher total tuck jump scores (5 ± 2) (more technique flaws), than men (3 ± 2, P < 0.01). DVJ was assessed quantitatively for valgus knee motion and probability of a high peak knee abduction moment (pKAM), as well as sagittal plane hip, knee, and ankle angles, and qualitatively with visual assessment of the player’s knees upon landing graded as good, reduced, or poor control. All players performed the tuck jump and drop vertical jump (DVJ). Methodsįemale football players ( N = 46, ages 16–25) were matched based on age, training frequency, and playing position with 46 male players. To examine differences between men and women football players in clinically feasible jumping measures.

Tuck jumps eng