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Change with increasing age in control of the lower limbs during jump–landing in adolescents: a 5-year prospective study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Orthopaedic Science

Abstract

Background

A discrepancy in the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury in males and females appears after puberty; however, little is known about changes that occur in control of the lower limbs during jump–landing in adolescents.

Methods

Twenty-five male and 29 female 5th grade students (age 10–11 years) participated at the beginning of study and were followed for 5 consecutive years. Control of the lower limbs during jump–landing was evaluated by use of a drop–jump test and 2-dimensional video analysis. The K/H ratio, which was determined by dividing the knee-separation distance by the hip-separation distance, was calculated for initial contact (IC) and for maximum knee flexion (MKF).

Results

In all grades female subjects had a significantly lower K/H ratio at both IC and MKF than male subjects. Although no statistically significant difference in K/H ratio between age categories was shown at either IC or MKF for male subjects, K/H ratio at IC and MKF decreased significantly between 5th grade and 9th grade for female subjects.

Conclusion

This study suggests that adolescent females have a lower K/H ratio during jump–landing than male subjects of the same age, and that K/H ratio for females decreases with increasing age.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by a JOA-Subsidized Science Project Research from the Japanese Orthopaedic Association.

Conflict of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho 5, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8562, Japan

    Shizuka Sasaki, Eiichi Tsuda, Yuji Yamamoto, Shugo Maeda, Yoshimitsu Hayashi, Yuka Kimura, Eiji Sasaki, Yuki Fujita & Yasuyuki Ishibashi

  2. Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho 5, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8562, Japan

    Ippei Takahashi, Takashi Umeda & Shigeyuki Nakaji

Authors
  1. Shizuka Sasaki
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  2. Eiichi Tsuda
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  3. Yuji Yamamoto
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  4. Shugo Maeda
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  5. Yoshimitsu Hayashi
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  6. Yuka Kimura
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  7. Eiji Sasaki
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  9. Ippei Takahashi
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  12. Yasuyuki Ishibashi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shizuka Sasaki.

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Cite this article

Sasaki, S., Tsuda, E., Yamamoto, Y. et al. Change with increasing age in control of the lower limbs during jump–landing in adolescents: a 5-year prospective study. J Orthop Sci 18, 774–781 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-013-0420-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-013-0420-3

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