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PURPOSE: We examined the immediate effect on ankle or knee joint cooling on the lower-extremity activation during a single-leg drop jump.METHODS: Twenty healthy adults randomly completed three data collection sessions (a 20-minute ankle or knee joint cooling, or control). Two wireless surface electromyography (EMG, 2,000 Hz) electrodes were attached over the vastus medialis (VM) and the medial gastrocnemius (MG) on their right limb. Subjects were asked to drop down from a wooden box (a 30-cm height) on their right foot onto the force platform (2,000 Hz) and then performed an immediate jump as high as they could. Whole EMG signals (normalised by the mean EMG value recorded during a reference position) within the preactivation (100-ms prior to contact) and the ground contact (on the force platform) during the drop jump task were analysed using functional linear models(p=.05, Cohen’s d effect size: ES).RESULTS: After knee joint cooling, (1) the VM activation was decreased during the ground contact (6 to 14%, 30 to 45%, 60 to 90% for ES of 0.50, 0.47, and 0.61, respectively) and (2) the MG activation was increased during the preactivation (84- to 29-ms prior to initial contact, ES=1.30) and the ground contact (59 to 100%, ES=1.40). No changes were observed under the condition of ankle joint cooling or control.CONCLUSIONS: A 20-minute unilateral knee joint cooling may result in an ipsilateral quadriceps inhibition during a drop jump task. The gastrocnemius appears to increase activation as a compensatory strategy responding to the quadriceps inhibition. The altered neuromuscular activations do not seem to put an individual at risk of injury, resulting from compressive forces in the sagittal plane.

Simple Summary Athlete experience high impact forces during landing, which is a contributing factor to injury risk potentials. As a potential factor of affecting the impact force, previous study of the effects of footwear cushioning effect on landing biomechanics were inconsistent. Furthermore, limited efforts have been exerted on the relationship between footwear cushioning and fatigue. In this study, the footwear cushioning effects on bipedal landing biomechanics before and after acute exercise-induced fatigue protocol were explored. The results of this study suggest that footwear cushioning can reduce landing-related rearfoot impact forces regardless of fatigue conditions. In a situation where the neuromuscular activity is reduced or absent, e.g., post-fatigue, wearing better cushioning shoes show superior attenuation, as indicated by low forefoot and rearfoot impacts. Abstract Purpose: this study aimed to investigate the footwear cushioning effects on impact forces and joint kinematics of the lower extremity during bipedal drop landings before and after acute exercise-induced fatigue protocol. Methods: in this case, 15 male collegiate basketball athletes performed drop landings from a 60 cm platform wearing highly-cushioned shoes (HS) and less cushioned shoes (control shoes, CS) before and after acute fatigue-inducing exercises (i.e., shuttle run combined with multiple vertical jumps). Force plates and motion capturing systems were synchronised to measure ground reaction forces and kinematic data during drop landings. Maximum jump height was analysed with one-way ANOVA. Two-way repeated measure ANOVAs were performed on each of the tested variables to examine if there was significant main effects of shoe and fatigue as well as the interaction. The significance level was set to 0.05. Results: rearfoot peak impact forces and loading rates significantly reduced when the participants wore HS in pre- and post-fatigue conditions. The peak loading rates in forefoot significantly reduced when HS were worn in post-fatigue. Compared with pre-fatigue, wearing HS contributed to with 24% and 13% reduction in forefoot and rearfoot peak loading rates, respectively, and the occurrence times of first and second peak impact forces and loading rates were much later. In the post-fatigue, a significant increase in the initial contact and minimum angles of the ankle were observed in HS compared with CS. Conclusion: these findings suggest that footwear cushioning can reduce landing-related rearfoot impact forces regardless of fatigue conditions. In a situation where the neuromuscular activity is reduced or absent such as post-fatigue wearing better cushioning shoes show superior attenuation, as indicated by lower forefoot and rearfoot impacts.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic ankle instability and induced mediolateral muscular fatigue of the ankle on competitive Taekwondo athletes during single-leg drop landing. [Subjects and Methods] Fourteen competitive taekwondo athletes with chronic ankle instability and 14 healthy adults participated, and they performed three single-leg drop landings from a 40-cm height before and after induced fatigue. Ankle angular position, peak vertical ground reaction force, loading rate, eccentric work, and contribution were calculated and analyzed. [Results] Athletes had lower ankle eversion and abduction angle than the controls did at maximum knee flexion both pre- and post-fatigue. Furthermore, athletes had lower eccentric work of the hip than the controls did post-fatigue, and they had lower eccentric work of the knee than controls at both pre- and post-fatigue. The eccentric work of the knee increased while, peak vertical ground reaction force decreased in both, athletes as well as controls post-fatigue. [Conclusion] Taekwondo athletes with chronic ankle instability who participate in a high-intensity training program are continuously exposed to potential injuries of their ankle or knee joints. Therefore, competitive taekwondo athletes with chronic ankle instability should limit their participation in regular training until they complete the rehabilitation process.

Lower extremity sagittal kinematic and kinetic data are summarized alongside electrical muscle activities during single-leg landing trials completed in contrasting external load and landing height conditions. Nineteen subjects were analyzed during 9 landing trials in each of 6 experimental conditions computed as percentages of subject anthropometrics (bodyweight: BW and subject height: H; BW, BW+12.5%, BW+25%, and H12.5%, H25%). Twelve lower extremity variables (sagittal hip, knee, ankle angles and moments, vertical ground reaction force (GRFz), gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, vastus medials, medial gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior muscles) were assessed using separate principal component analyses (PCA). Variable trends across conditions were summarized in “Neuromechanical synergies in single-leg landing reveal changes in movement control. Human Movement Science” (Nordin and Dufek, 2016) [1], revealing changes in landing biomechanics and movement control. Keywords: Kinematic, Kinetic, Electromyographic, Drop landing

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine potential predictors of functional instability of the knee and ankle joints during single-leg drop landing based on the prior history of injury. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 24 collegiate soccer players without pain or dysfunction. To compare the differences between the stable and unstable sides during single-leg drop landing, 8 motion analysis cameras and a force plate were used. The Cortex 4 software was used for a biomechanical analysis of 3 events. An independent t-test was used for statistical comparison between both sides; p

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of landing on a combined inversion and plantarflexion surface on the ankle kinematics and electromyographic (EMG) activities of medial gastrocnemius (MG), peroneus longus (PL), and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. Methods Twelve recreational athletes performed five drop landings from an overhead bar of 30 cm height on to three surfaces: a flat surface, a 25° inversion surface, and a combined surface of 25° inversion and 25° plantarflexion. The kinematic variables and integrated EMG (IEMG) of the three muscles were assessed using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA and a 3 × 3 (surface × muscle) ANOVA, respectively ( p Results The IEMG results showed a significant muscle by surface interaction. The flat surface induced higher TA activity than the two tilted surfaces. The inverted surface produced significantly higher inversion peak angle and velocity than the flat surface, but similar PL activity across the surfaces. The MG IEMG, ankle plantarflexion angle, and inversion range of motion were significantly higher for the combined surface compared to the inverted surface. Conclusion These findings suggest that compared to the inversion surface, the combined plantarflexion and inversion surface seems to provide a more unstable surface condition for lateral ankle sprains during landing.

Background: Many injuries of the lower extremities, especially the knee and ankle, occur during sports activity, and the incidence rate is higher in women than in men. Hypothesis: The hypothesis was that phases of the menstrual cycle affect the width of the tibiofibular syndesmosis during drop landing in healthy young women and that such changes at the tibiofibular joint also affect the dynamics and neuromuscular coordination of the lower extremities. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Participants included 28 healthy young women (mean age, 21.0 ± 0.8 years). Blood samples were collected to determine plasma levels of estradiol and progesterone immediately before the performance of the task: drop landing on a single leg from a 30-cm platform. Using ultrasonography, the distance between the tibia and the distal end of the fibula, regarded as the width of the tibiofibular syndesmosis, was measured in an upright position without flexion of the ankle. The peak ground-reaction force (GRF) on landing was measured using a force platform. The time to peak GRF (Tp-GRF) was measured as the time from initial ground contact to the peak GRF. Hip, knee, and ankle joint angles during the single-leg landing were calculated using a 3-dimensional motion analysis system. Muscle activities of the lower extremities were measured using surface electromyography. Results: The width of the tibiofibular syndesmosis was significantly greater in the luteal phase when compared with the menstrual, follicular, and ovulation phases (by 5%-8% of control). Also, during the luteal phase, the Tp-GRF was significantly shorter than in the follicular phase (by 6%); hip internal rotation and knee valgus were significantly greater than in the menstrual phase (by 43% and 34%, respectively); knee flexion was significantly less than in the menstrual and follicular phases (by 7%-9%); ankle dorsiflection was significantly less than in the follicular phase (by 11%); ankle adduction and eversion were significantly greater than in the menstrual and follicular phases (by 26%-46%, and 27%-33%, respectively); and activation of the gluteus maximus before landing was significantly lower than in the menstrual and follicular phases (by 20%-22%). Conclusion: The luteal phase appears to be associated with decreased strength and laxity of the ankle as well as lower extremity muscle activity in women. The changes presumably represent a greater risk for sports injuries. Clinical Relevance: The results of this study suggest that the luteal phase may be related to the greater incidence of lower extremity injuries in women.

Background: As injury rates rise in the later stages of sporting activities, a better understanding of lower extremity biomechanics in the later phases of gamelike situations may improve training and injury prevention programs. Hypothesis: Lower extremity biomechanics of a drop-jump task (extracted from a principal components analysis) would reveal factors associated with risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury during a 90-minute individualized intermittent exercise protocol (IEP) and for 1 hour following the IEP. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: Fifty-nine athletes (29 women, 30 men) completed 3 sessions. The first session assessed fitness for an IEP designed to simulate the demands of a soccer match. An experimental session assessed drop-jump biomechanics, after a dynamic warm-up, every 15 minutes during the 90-minute IEP, and for 1 hour following the IEP. A control session with no exercise assessed drop-jump performance at the same intervals. Results: Two biomechanical factors early in the first half (hip flexion at initial contact and hip loading; ankle loading and knee shear force) decreased at the end of the IEP and into the 60-minute recovery period, while a third factor (knee loading) decreased only during the recovery period ( P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: The individualized sport-specific IEP may have more subtle effects on landing biomechanics when compared with short-term, exhaustive fatigue protocols. Clinical Relevance: Potentially injurious landing biomechanics may not occur until the later stages of soccer activity.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine effects of a sport version of a semi-rigid ankle brace (Element) and a soft ankle brace (ASO) on ankle biomechanics and ground reaction forces (GRFs) during a drop landing activity in subjects with chronic ankle instability (CAI) compared to healthy subjects with no history of CAI. Methods: Ten healthy subjects and 10 subjects who had multiple ankle sprains participated in the study as the control and unstable subjects, respectively. The CAI subjects were age, body mass index and gender matched with the control subjects. The arch index and ankle functions of the subjects were measured in a subject screening session. During the biomechanical test session, participants performed five trials of drop landing from 0.6 m, wearing no brace (NB), Element brace and ASO brace. Simultaneous recording of three-dimensional kinematic (240 Hz) and GRF (1200 Hz) data were performed. Results: The CAI subjects had lower ankle functional survey scores. The arch index and deformity results showed greater arch deformity of Element against a static load than in NB and ASO due to greater initial arch position held by the brace. CAI participants had greater eversion velocity than healthy controls. The ASO brace reduced the first peak vertical GRF whereas Element increased 2nd peak vertical GRF. Element brace reduced eversion range of motion (ROM) and peak eversion velocity compared to NB and ASO. In addition, Element reduced dorsiflexion ROM and increased peak plantarflexion moment compared to NB and ASO. Conclusion: Results of static arch measurements and dynamic ankle motion suggest that the restrictions offered by both braces are in part due to more dorsiflexed ankle positions at contact, and higher initial arch position and stiffer ankle for Element. Copyright 2012, Shanghai University of Sport. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.