Effect of a lower limb injury prevention program on landing position in female basketball athletes

Objective: To determine the effect of a lower limb injury prevention program on athletes with greater knee valgus angles during landing at high risk for ACL injury, who have greater knee valgus angle during landing, and on players with a low risk for ACL injury. Methods: Forty-two female collegiate basketball athletes (84 limbs) participated in this study. Before and after the prevention program, which lasted four months, the peak knee valgus and peak knee flexion angles during the continuous jump test and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) scores were recorded. According to the average peak knee valgus angle of the continuous jump test, the subjects were divided into either a high-or a low-risk group. A 2-way ANOVA model (risk(2) × training(2)) was used to examine the main and interaction effects (risk/training/risk × training). Results: In the high-risk group, the post-training knee valgus angle decreased compared to the pre-training angle (p < 0.01). In the low-risk group, the post-training SEBT score was greater than the pre-training score (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The injury prevention program was effective in decreasing the risk of ACL injury in high-risk athletes with greater knee valgus angles during landing. Accordingly, screening for high-risk players and recommending a prevention program for them may allow for more effective prevention of ACL injuries. In low-risk players who did not have a valgus angle exceeding the cut-off value during landing, the prevention program resulted in improved balance ability, which may also lead to a decreased risk of lower limb injury. Based on these results, we conclude that enrolling all athletes in injury prevention programs may help reduce the risk of lower limb injury in sport.