Purpose: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury is among the most prevalent knee injuries among young athletes, aged 15-25 and occurs in 70% through a noncontact mechanisms. Medial Knee Displacement (MKD) is the key risk factor of ACL injury in basketball athletes. The present study investigated the effect of an MKD corrective exercises program on knee kinematics during Drop Vertical Jump (DVJ), and its performance in male basketball players.
Methods: The study participants consisted of 32 male basketball players (Mean±SD age: 20.8±1.7 years, weight 74.0±5.2 kg, height 183.9±5.0 cm, body mass index 21.86±1.19 kg/m2, and experience 8.75±1.42 years) with MKD during Double Leg Squat (DLS) test. The subjects were randomly placed into two groups (training, n=16, control, n=16). Training group participated in 10 sessions of the corrective exercise program. Pre-test and post-test assessments included knee kinematic during DVJ and performance test (Y balance and hop) in the dominant leg.
Results: The analysis of covariance test results revealed that the effects of the Pre-test, as well as the effects of groups on the post-test variables in the training group, were statistically significant (P<0.01) for all variables, except for knee flexion angle. Additionally, the training group experienced significant improvements (P<0.01) in kinematic variables during DVJ, such as reduced MKD in the pre-land frame (4.32º) and reduced MKD in a land frame (5.51º). They also indicated significant improvements (P<0.01) in performance variables, such as increased total Y balance test (3.33 cm), increased single hop test (13.25 cm), increased triple hop test (22.25 cm), increased crossover hop test (19.81 cm), and reduced (0.23 s) 6 meter timed hop test scores.
Conclusion: Due to the correction key risk factors of noncontact ACL injury Medial Knee Displacement (MKD), improved landing kinematic and increased performance, it seems that in male basketball players with MKD, this corrective exercises program can help to prevent noncontact knee injuries caused by MKD during functional activities like DVJ; it can also help to improve performance.