Descriptive trunk kinematics in healthy collegiate women's soccer players indicate trunk center of mass is laterally positioned prior to decelerating and cutting

Celeste Dix; Amelia Arundale; Holly Silvers-Granelli; Adam Marmon; Ryan Zarzycki; Elisa Arch; Lynn Snyder-Mackler

doi:10.1016/j.jisako.2022.03.002

Descriptive trunk kinematics in healthy collegiate women's soccer players indicate trunk center of mass is laterally positioned prior to decelerating and cutting

J ISAKOS. 2022 Jun;7(3):10-16. doi: 10.1016/j.jisako.2022.03.002. Epub 2022 Apr 4.

Authors

Celeste Dix¹, Amelia Arundale², Holly Silvers-Granelli³, Adam Marmon⁴, Ryan Zarzycki⁵, Elisa Arch⁶, Lynn Snyder-Mackler⁷

Affiliations

¹ Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Biomechanics and Movement Science, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA. Electronic address: cdix@udel.edu.
² Ichan School of Medicine Mount Sinai Health System, New York, NY, USA; Red Bull Athlete Performance Center, Thalgua, Austria.
³ Research Major League Soccer Medical Assessment Research Committee (M-MARC), New York, NY, USA; Velocity Physical Therapy, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Enovis, New Castle DE, USA.
⁵ Physical Therapy, Arcadia University, Glenside, PA, USA.
⁶ Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Biomechanics and Movement Science, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
⁷ Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Biomechanics and Movement Science, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.

PMID: 35604314
DOI: 10.1016/j.jisako.2022.03.002

Abstract

Objectives: Trunk kinematics can contribute to lower extremity biomechanical risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. However, normative trunk kinematics during unilateral athletic tasks in a large population of "healthy" (no history of ACL injury and no known future ACL injury) women's soccer players have not been well-described. This study's purposes were to describe trunk kinematics in a population of 37 healthy collegiate women's soccer players completing a step-down, a deceleration, and a 90° cut, and to provide a reference for normative values.

Methods: A cross-sectional cohort of 37 female soccer players were analysed for this study. Trunk forward flexion and lateral flexion were measured relative to the pelvis, and trunk centre of mass position was measured relative to the proximal tibia. Trunk kinematics were characterized by individual values at key events during the tasks and time-series curves normalized to 100% of the time.

Results: Participants demonstrated increasing trunk forward flexion with increasing knee flexion angle, small amounts of increasing ipsilateral trunk flexion with increasing peak knee abduction moment, and trunk centre of mass position that moved medially during the deceleration and cut tasks. Additionally, participants demonstrated peak trunk lateral flexion angles milliseconds before peak knee flexion angle.

Conclusion: This study provides a reference for identifying aberrant trunk mechanics that may increase the risk for non-contact ACL injury.

Level of evidence: Level II.

Keywords: Anterior cruciate ligament; Knee injury; Sports medicine research.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries*
Biomechanical Phenomena
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Knee Joint
Soccer* / injuries