DO FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS REQUIRE A SPORT-SPECIFIC BIOMECHANICAL ASSESSMENT TO CLASSlFY THEIR ANTERIOR CRUClATE LIGAMENT INJURY RISK?

The lower limb biomechanics of 13 elite female hockey players were compared between 1) a generic, and 2) a hockey-specific (i.e., flexed trunk and hockey stick present) ACL injury risk movement assessment. Our aim was to determine if an athlete's ACL injury risk classification differed as a function of their movement assessment. An increase in trunk, hip and knee flexion was observed during the hockey-specific movement assessment. No significant differences in key ACL injury risk factors (i.e., peak three dimensional knee moments) were observed. These results show that imposing hockeyspecific requirements during a lab based movement assessment did not change an athlete's ACL injury risk classification when compared to a generic movement assessment

CHANGES IN SUPPORT MOMENT AND MUSCLE ACTIVATION FOLLOWING HIP AND TRUNK NEUROMUSCULAR TRAINING: THE HIP AND ACL INJURY RISK

This study investigated lower limb muscular activation strategies following an 8-week body-weight based training intervention focused on the dynamic control of the hip/trunk. Muscle activation, support moment and frontal plane knee moments of elite female hockey players (n=13) were measured during unplanned sidestepping pre/post training. Post-training, gluteal muscle activation increased (+10%;p=0.006). There was no change in support moment or frontal plane knee moments however, the contribution of hip extension to total support moment increased (+10%;d=0.56) following training. Hip/trunk neuromuscular training is effective in improving hip neuromuscular activation, allowing athletes to more effectively utilise their hip to generate their support moment, which may prevent dangerous ‘dynamic valgus’ knee postures during sidestepping sporting tasks

FOOT STRIKE POSTURE AND LOWER-LIMB DYNAMICS DURING SIDESTEPPING AMONG ELITE FEMALE ATHLETES: IMPLICATIONS FOR ACL INJURY RISK

The purpose of this study was to compare the lower-limb dynamics between fore-foot (FF) and rear-foot (RF) strike patterns during unplanned sidestepping. Three-dimensional (3D) motion capture data were collected from 16 elite female hockey players. Ankle, knee, and hip: angle at initial foot contact (IC), range of motion (ROM), peak moment, and negative peak net joint power during weight acceptance phase were compared between athletes using natural RF and FF strike techniques. Results showed ankle and hip angle at IC, ankle ROM, peak ankle and knee extension moments, peak knee valgus moments, and ankle and knee negative peak net power between RF and FF strike patterns were significantly different (a < 0.05). These findings show foot strike technique during unplanned sidestepping can effect athlete lower-limb dynamics, where RF strike athletes may be at higher risk of ACL injury

PELVIC OBLIQUITY AND ROTATION INFLUENCES FOOT POSITION ESTIMATES DURING RUNNING AND SIDESTEPPING: “IT’S ALL IN THE HIPS”

Pelvic obliquity angles were hypothesised to influence mediolateral (ML) foot position estimates during sporting manoeuvres. Pelvic angles and ML foot position estimates during the weight acceptance phase of sidestepping and straight-line running tasks were obtained from 31 amateur Australian Rules Football players using three different kinematic models. ML foot position was calculated: 1) in the global reference frame, 2) in the pelvis reference frame and 3) in the pelvis reference frame following correction for changes in pelvic obliquity. Significant differences in ML foot position were observed between all three models in both task conditions (p \u3c 0.05). Correcting for changes in time varying pelvic obliquity during running and sidestepping tasks is an important modelling consideration for the reliable measurement of ML foot position when investigating injury and/or stability

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? MAINTAINING THE BIOMECHANICAL BENEFITS OF AN ACL INJURY PREVENTION TRAINING PROGRAM

This study investigated the effect of a 16-week maintenance training program which directly followed a high-dose 9 week initial training intervention, as part of a biomechanically informed ACL injury prevention program. Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data of elite female hockey players (n=16) were collected at baseline, post initial training and post maintenance training during unplanned sidestepping. Maintenance training was effective in retaining reduced peak knee valgus moments in a ‘high-risk’ subgroup elicited from the initial training program. Conversely, although the total group demonstrated no benefits following initial training, they displayed a reduction (?-26.3%, g=0.30) in peak valgus knee moments following maintenance training, suggesting a prolonged albeit moderate dose of training was effective for this population