Anticipatory effects on side-step cutting biomechanics in Women’s Australian Football League players
Objectives Reactive side-step cutting manoeuvres are linked to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in Women’s Australian Football League (AFLW) matches. We explored knee joint moments and ground reaction forces (GRFs) in AFLW players when performing anticipated and unanticipated side-stepping....
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2023-05-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/2/e001587.full |
| _version_ | 1797772141918158848 |
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| author | Brett Johnson Richard Page Aaron Fox Jason Bonacci Stephen D Gill Tess Rolley Meghan Keast Tom Reade Julian Stella |
| author_facet | Brett Johnson Richard Page Aaron Fox Jason Bonacci Stephen D Gill Tess Rolley Meghan Keast Tom Reade Julian Stella |
| author_sort | Brett Johnson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives Reactive side-step cutting manoeuvres are linked to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in Women’s Australian Football League (AFLW) matches. We explored knee joint moments and ground reaction forces (GRFs) in AFLW players when performing anticipated and unanticipated side-stepping.Methods Sixteen AFLW players (age=25.3±4.2 years; height=1.71±0.06 m; mass=68.4±4.7 kg) completed anticipated and unanticipated side-stepping trials during which full-body three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were recorded. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping paired t-tests were used to compare three-dimensional knee moments during weight acceptance and GRFs during the stance phase between anticipated and unanticipated conditions.Results Unanticipated side-stepping incurred lower knee flexion (18%–39% of stance, p<0.01) and abduction (11%–24% of stance, p<0.01) moments. Braking and propulsive GRFs were lower and higher, respectively, across the majority of stance phase (6%–90% of stance, p<0.01) in unanticipated side-stepping. Vertical GRFs were lower in unanticipated side-stepping in the early stance phase (14%–29% of stance, p<0.01).Conclusion Contrary to existing literature, AFLW players exhibited knee joint moments associated with reduced ACL loading when performing unanticipated side-stepping. Players appeared to adopt a ‘cautious’ approach to the unanticipated side-step (ie, decelerating at the change of direction), by reducing braking and vertical GRFs in the early stance phase of cutting. This approach may be implausible to employ or detrimental to performance during matches. AFLW ACL injury prevention programmes may be enhanced with greater exposure to scenarios that replicate reactive match-play demands when aiming to improve side-stepping biomechanics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:47:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eae3a3af16644dc1b2acbf013def9fc1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-7647 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:47:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-eae3a3af16644dc1b2acbf013def9fc12023-07-26T08:15:07ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine2055-76472023-05-019210.1136/bmjsem-2023-001587Anticipatory effects on side-step cutting biomechanics in Women’s Australian Football League playersBrett Johnson0Richard Page1Aaron Fox2Jason Bonacci3Stephen D Gill4Tess Rolley5Meghan Keast6Tom Reade7Julian Stella8Geelong Cats Football Club, Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaBarwon Centre for Orthopaedic Research and Education (B-CORE), Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaCentre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaCentre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaBarwon Centre for Orthopaedic Research and Education (B-CORE), Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaCentre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaCentre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaSchool of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaSchool of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaObjectives Reactive side-step cutting manoeuvres are linked to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in Women’s Australian Football League (AFLW) matches. We explored knee joint moments and ground reaction forces (GRFs) in AFLW players when performing anticipated and unanticipated side-stepping.Methods Sixteen AFLW players (age=25.3±4.2 years; height=1.71±0.06 m; mass=68.4±4.7 kg) completed anticipated and unanticipated side-stepping trials during which full-body three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were recorded. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping paired t-tests were used to compare three-dimensional knee moments during weight acceptance and GRFs during the stance phase between anticipated and unanticipated conditions.Results Unanticipated side-stepping incurred lower knee flexion (18%–39% of stance, p<0.01) and abduction (11%–24% of stance, p<0.01) moments. Braking and propulsive GRFs were lower and higher, respectively, across the majority of stance phase (6%–90% of stance, p<0.01) in unanticipated side-stepping. Vertical GRFs were lower in unanticipated side-stepping in the early stance phase (14%–29% of stance, p<0.01).Conclusion Contrary to existing literature, AFLW players exhibited knee joint moments associated with reduced ACL loading when performing unanticipated side-stepping. Players appeared to adopt a ‘cautious’ approach to the unanticipated side-step (ie, decelerating at the change of direction), by reducing braking and vertical GRFs in the early stance phase of cutting. This approach may be implausible to employ or detrimental to performance during matches. AFLW ACL injury prevention programmes may be enhanced with greater exposure to scenarios that replicate reactive match-play demands when aiming to improve side-stepping biomechanics.https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/2/e001587.full |
| spellingShingle | Brett Johnson Richard Page Aaron Fox Jason Bonacci Stephen D Gill Tess Rolley Meghan Keast Tom Reade Julian Stella Anticipatory effects on side-step cutting biomechanics in Women’s Australian Football League players BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| title | Anticipatory effects on side-step cutting biomechanics in Women’s Australian Football League players |
| title_full | Anticipatory effects on side-step cutting biomechanics in Women’s Australian Football League players |
| title_fullStr | Anticipatory effects on side-step cutting biomechanics in Women’s Australian Football League players |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anticipatory effects on side-step cutting biomechanics in Women’s Australian Football League players |
| title_short | Anticipatory effects on side-step cutting biomechanics in Women’s Australian Football League players |
| title_sort | anticipatory effects on side step cutting biomechanics in women s australian football league players |
| url | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/2/e001587.full |
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