Do Cutting Kinematics Change as Boys Mature? A Longitudinal Cohort Study of High-School Athletes
Publication Name
Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine
Abstract
Objective:Examine longitudinal changes in trunk, hip, and knee kinematics in maturing boys during an unanticipated cutting task.Design:Prospective cohort study.Setting:Biomechanical laboratory.Participants:Forty-two high-school male basketball, volleyball, and soccer athletes.Assessment of Risk Factors:Trunk, hip, and knee range-of-motion (RoM), peak angles, and angles at initial contact during an unanticipated 45 degrees sidestep cutting task were estimated using laboratory-based three-dimensional optoelectronic motion capture. Maturation was classified using a modified Pubertal Maturational Observational Scale (PMOS) into prepubertal, midpubertal, or postpubertal stages.Main Outcome Measures:Trunk total RoM in frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes; peak trunk flexion, right lateral flexion and right rotation angles; hip total RoM in frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes; hip flexion angle at initial contact; peak hip flexion and adduction angles; knee total RoM in frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes; knee flexion angle at initial contact; peak knee flexion and abduction angles.Results:As boys matured, there was a decrease in hip sagittal-plane RoM (49.02 degrees to 43.45 degrees, Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted P = 0.027), hip flexion at initial contact (29.33 degrees to 23.08 degrees, P = 0.018), and peak hip flexion (38.66 degrees to 32.71 degrees, P = 0.046), and an increase in trunk contralateral rotation (17.47 degrees to 25.05 degrees, P = 0.027).Conclusions:Maturing male athletes adopted a more erect cutting strategy that is associated with greater knee joint loading. Knee kinematic changes that increase knee joint loading were not observed in this cohort.
Open Access Status
This publication is not available as open access
Volume
33
Issue
2
First Page
E8
Last Page
E13
Funding Number
5SC3 GM102053
Funding Sponsor
National Institutes of Health