The Effect of Mid-flight Trunk Motion on Landing Mechanics

Download or read book The Effect of Mid-flight Trunk Motion on Landing Mechanics written by Taylour J. Hinshaw and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a commonly experienced injury that can cause long-term negative health consequences. Previous research has observed increased trunk motion when ACL injuries occur during jump-landing tasks and suggest that trunk perturbation experienced while in the air may be a contributing factor to ACL injuries, however, the cause-effect relationship between trunk motion and ACL loading has not been established. The current researcher quantified the influences that both medial and lateral mid-flight trunk motions on landing biomechanics through center of mass analysis. Results from the current study showed that at initial contact, the upper body moved towards the reaching direction while the pelvis, ipsilateral leg, and contralateral leg moved in the opposite direction for the left and right reaching conditions when compared to the up condition. The ipsilateral leg moved closer to the overall COM and the contralateral leg moved further away, resulting in an asymmetric landing posture. The ipsilateral leg landed earlier for the left and right reaching conditions when compared to the up condition and also experienced a greater amount of vertical ground reaction force putting it at a higher risk for injury. Injury prevention programs should incorporate effective strategies to compensate for trunk motion experienced during the mid-flight of a jump.