The Effects of the Functional Garment on the Biomechanics During the Single Leg Drop Landing.
Abstract Background: Female athletes with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury should decrease both dynamic valgus of the knee and related kinematics of the lower limb during single leg drop landing (SLDL). A functional biomechanics garment (FBG) may help prevent injury by improved kinematics during motion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the FBG on the biomechanics of SLDL.Methods: Seventeen female university basketball players participated in this study. Characteristics of the FBG were designed based on biomechanics during weight-loaded performance of human movement such as gait, running, and jumping. Lower limb kinematic and kinetic data were calculated using a three-dimensional motion analysis system during a SLDL task with and without the FBG. The hip, knee, and ankle angles and joint moments were automatically calculated from the standard plug-in gait lower body model. The average values of lower limb kinematics and kinetics in the sagittal and frontal planes from 3 SLDL with and without FBG were measured and compared.Results: The maximum varus angle of the knee showed a significant difference between with FBG (15.3±15.1 degrees) and without FBG (5.9±15.4 degrees). (p<0.01; effect size 0.6) Conclusion: Use of the FBG decreases dynamic knee valgus, which reduces risk of knee injury. The FBG can reduce dynamic knee valgus during SLDL in athletic rehabilitation and to play a role in the prevention of knee injury.