ASSOCIATION BETWEEN QUADRICEPS STRENGTH AND KNEE FLEXION DURING DROP LANDING IN HEALTHY ADOLESCENT ATHLETES
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Background
Quadriceps strength and landing mechanics are two modifiable factors associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk. Collecting detailed biomechanical data is an arduous task. Identifying a relationship using more easily measured variables, such as quadriceps strength, would offer value for athlete counseling and injury prevention programs. Although quadriceps weakness has been associated with altered landing strategies in ACL-reconstructed (ACLR) individuals, this relationship is less clear in healthy athletes.
Purpose
To investigate the association between isokinetic quadriceps strength and peak knee flexion angle during a vertical drop jump in healthy adolescent athletes.
Study Design
Secondary analysis of previously collected data.
Methods
Healthy adolescent athletes had their dominant leg quadriceps strength measured using an isokinetic dynamometer at 60°/s from 0–90° of knee flexion. Landing mechanics were assessed during a vertical drop jump using three-dimensional motion capture synchronized with force plates. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the association between quadriceps strength and peak knee flexion angle during landing, with statistical significance defined as p < .05.
Results
There was a weak negative correlation between quadriceps strength and peak knee flexion angle (p = .017, R = -.22 [-.04, -.38]), suggesting that stronger athletes achieved greater knee flexion angles.
Discussion
Greater quadriceps strength was associated with increased peak knee flexion angles during landing; however, the weak correlation suggests that strength explains only a small portion of the variability in landing mechanics. These findings deviate slightly from prior literature in healthy populations but are consistent with studies demonstrating that greater quadriceps strength is associated with achieving greater peak knee flexion in ACLR patients. Accordingly, quadriceps strengthening should remain a key component of multifactorial ACL injury prevention programs.
