A comparison of knee joint motion patterns between men and women in selected athletic tasks

Background. Women have higher non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injury rate than men do in sport activities. Non-contact anterior cruciate ligame nt injuries frequently occur in sports requiring cutting tasks. Alternated motor control strategies have identified as a potential risk factor for the non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injuries. The purpose of this study was to compare the patterns of knee kinematics and electromyographic activ ities in running, side-cutting, and cross-cutting between men and women rec reational athletes. Methods, Three-dimensional kinematic data of the knee and electromyographic data of selected muscles across the knee joint were collected for 11 men a nd 9 women recreational athletes in running, side-cutting, and cross-cuttin g. Regression analyses with dummy variables for comparison of knee motion p atterns between men and women, Results. Women tend to have less knee flexion angles, more knee valgus angl es, greater quadriceps activation, and lower hamstring activation in compar ison to men during the stance phase of each of the three athletic tasks, Li teratures suggest these alternated knee motion patterns of women tend to in crease the load on the anterior cruciate ligament, Conclusion, Women on average may have certain motor control strategies that may alter their knee motion patterns. Women's altered knee motion patterns may tend to increase the load on the anterior cruciate ligament in the sel ected athletic tasks, which may contribute to the increased anterior crucia te ligament injury rate among women.