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Knee Joint Function in Healthy and ACL-Reconstructed Collegiate Female Lacrosse Players: A Pilot Study

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate knee joint function during an unanticipated cutting task between healthy and ACL-reconstructed (ACL-R) females within the same NCAA Division I collegiate female lacrosse team (WLAX) via knee mechanics and estimated vasti and hamstring muscle forces.

Methods

Knee mechanics during three unanticipated cutting trials were observed using 3D motion analysis techniques for 26 healthy female lacrosse players, five which had previous history of ACL-R. Knee flexion angle and knee extensor moment were calculated via Visual3D. Modified musculoskeletal models were used to estimated vasti and hamstrings muscle forces obtained from static optimization. The 2 × 2 (group × limb) repeated measures ANOVAs were used to identify differences in knee mechanics, and vasti and hamstring muscle groups among healthy/ACL-R between their preferred and involved limbs.

Results

There was an interaction between group and limb for knee extensor moment. ACL-R females had less knee extensor moments in their involved limb compared to their uninvolved limb (P < 0.001). There was also a group main effect found for knee flexion angle. ACL-R females cut with less knee flexion angle compared to healthy females (P < 0.013). No significant differences were found for estimated vasti or hamstring forces.

Conclusions

These pilot results indicate that despite all female WLAX players undergoing the same strength and conditioning programming, training sessions, with the same coaching staff, differences in knee joint mechanics still exist between healthy and ACL-R players. These data should help inform larger-scaled studies investigating the impact of ACL-R on athletes within the same sports team.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5142, Hattiesburg, MS, 39402, USA

    Shelby A. Peel

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA

    Christine D. Walck

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, Congdon School of Health Sciences, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA

    Jeffrey B. Taylor, Anh-Dung Nguyen, Audrey E. Westbrook, Emma Alfred, Mary Mahon & Kevin R. Ford

  4. Division of Athletic Training, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Anh-Dung Nguyen

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  1. Shelby A. Peel
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Contributions

All authors (SP, CW, JT, A-DN, AW, EA, MM, and KF) made contributions to the conception, analysis, interpretation of the work. All were involved in drafting and revising the manuscript, giving final approval of the manuscript, and take accountability for all aspects of the current work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shelby A. Peel.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Ethics Approval

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Institutional Review Board of High Point University.

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Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the images in Fig. 1.

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Peel, S.A., Walck, C.D., Taylor, J.B. et al. Knee Joint Function in Healthy and ACL-Reconstructed Collegiate Female Lacrosse Players: A Pilot Study. J. of SCI. IN SPORT AND EXERCISE (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-023-00223-2

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