Mapping current research trends on neuromuscular risk factors of non-contact ACL injury.
The aim of this systematic review was (i) to identify neuromuscular markers that have been predictive of a primary non-contact ACL injury, (ii) to assess whether proposed risk factors have been supported or refuted in the literature from cohort and case-control studies, and (iii) to reflect on the body of research that aims at developing field based tools to assess risk through an association with these risk factors. Electronic searches were undertaken, of PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus examining neuromuscular risk factors associated with ACL injury published between January 1990 and July 2015. The evidence supporting neuromuscular risk factors of ACL injury is limited where only 4 prospective cohort studies were found. Three of which looked into muscular capacity and one looked into muscular activation patterns but none of the studies found strong evidence of how muscular capacity or muscular activation deficits are a risk factor for a primary non-contact ACL injury. A number of factors associated to neural control and muscular capacity have been suggested to be related to non-contact ACL injury risk but the level of evidence supporting these risk factors remains often elusive, leaving researchers and practitioners uncertain when developing evidence-based injury prevention programs.
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
Radin
R
Rafeeuddin
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
Raihana
R
Sharir
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Filip
F
Staes
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Bart
B
Dingenen
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
Keith
K
George
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
Mark A
MA
Robinson
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, UK; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: jos.vanrenterghem@kuleuven.be.
Jos
J
Vanrenterghem
D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors
Hamstring to quadriceps ratio; Muscle co-contraction; Muscular activation; Muscular capacity