title: Effect of attending to a ball during a side-cut maneuver on lower extremity biomechanics in male and female athletes.
abstract: Many sports associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury require athletes attend to a ball during participation. We investigated effects of attending to a ball on lower extremity mechanics during a side-cut maneuver and if these effects are consistent for males and females. Sagittal and frontal plane hip and knee kinematics and joint moments were measured during side-cut maneuvers in 19 male and 19 female National Collegiate Athletic Association division III basketball players. Participants also experienced two side-cut conditions that required attention to a ball. Our results did not indicate that the effect of attention varies with gender. However, during side-cut conditions while attending to a ball, internal knee adductor moment was 20% greater (p = 0.03) and peak knee flexion angle was 4 degrees larger (p < 0.01). Females demonstrated 5 degrees less hip flexion (p = 0.046), 12 degrees less knee flexion (p < 0.01), and 4 degrees more knee abduction (p = 0.026) at initial contact during all side-cut conditions than males. Attention to a ball may affect lower extremity mechanics relevant to ACL injury. The validity of laboratory studies of lower extremity mechanics for sports that include attention to a ball may be increased if participants are required to attend to a ball during the task.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Professions, Physical Therapy Program, Health Science Center, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fedie
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carlstedt
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Willson
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kernozek
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology; D001490:Basketball / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult