title: The influence of in-season injury prevention training on lower-extremity kinematics during landing in female soccer players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the influence of in-season injury prevention training on hip and knee kinematics during a landing task.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal pre-post intervention study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Testing sessions were conducted in a biomechanics research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen female soccer players between the ages of 14 and 17 participated in this study. All subjects were healthy with no current complaints of lower extremity injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Testing sessions were conducted prior to and following a season of soccer practice combined with injury prevention training.
  
  
  METHODS
  During each testing session three-dimensional kinematics were collected while each subject performed a drop landing task. Peak hip and knee joint angles were measured during the early deceleration phase of landing and compared between pre- and post-training using paired t-tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following a season of soccer practice combined with injury prevention training, females demonstrated significantly less hip internal rotation (7.1 degrees vs. 1.9 degrees; P = 0.01) and significantly greater hip abduction (-4.9 degrees vs. -7.7 degrees; P = 0.02). No differences in knee valgus or knee flexion angles were found post-season.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female soccer players exhibited significant changes in hip kinematics during a landing task following in-season injury prevention training. Our results support the premise that a season of soccer practice combined with injury prevention training is effective in altering lower extremity motions that may play a role in predisposing females to ACL injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9006, USA. cpollard@usc.edu
authors.forename: Christine D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sigward
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Langford
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Powers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D025981:Hip Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*