Influence of sex and limb dominance on lower extremity joint mechanics during unilateral land-and-cut manoeuvres

Abstract

Limb dominance theory suggests that females tend to be more one-leg dominant and exhibit greater kinematic and kinetic leg asymmetries than their male counterparts, contributing to the increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury among female athletes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the influences of sex and limb dominance on lower extremity joint mechanics during unilateral land-and-cut manoeuvres. Twenty-one women and 21 men completed land-and-cut manoeuvres on their dominant limb as well as their nondominant limb. Three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were calculated bilaterally for the entire stance phase of the manoeuvre. Women performed land-and-cut manoeuvres with altered hip motions and loads as well as greater knee abduction at touchdown compared to men. Dominant limb land-and-cut manoeuvres where characterised by decreased hip flexion at touchdown as well as decreased hip flexion and adduction range of motion compared to nondominant land-and-cuts regardless of sex. The observed sex differences are consistent with previous research regarding mechanisms underlying the sex disparity in anterior cruciate ligament injury rates. However, observed differences regarding limb dominances appear somewhat arbitrary and did not suggest that the dominant or nondominant limb would be at increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Sex and limb impact biomechanics associated with risk of injury during drop landing with body borne load

“…To control these large landing GRFs, females used greater hip flexion moment compared to males. This strategy is a noted sex dimorphism for females during landing [21–23], and has been attributed to poor neuromuscular control at the hip [8,20,44] and disproportionate strength of the hip abductor and knee flexor muscles [8,44]. Neuromuscular training has been shown to reduce females’ knee injury risk [16,44] by focusing on increasing hip abduction strength [45].…”

“…While the existing literature is inconclusive on limb differences during landing [23,24], with the addition of body borne load participants may rely more on the stronger dominant limb [46,47] to safely attenuate the impact forces for both normal and flexed landings [16]. Participants’ dominant limb exhibited greater peak vertical (NL: 12%, FL: 8%) and frontal (NL: 13%, FL: 7%) GRFs and peak knee flexion moment than the non-dominant limb.…”

“…This study may be limited by the landing task and participants. Although, military personnel may land from heights greater than 30 cm during training, previous experimental outcomes demonstrate landing from 22 and 27 cm reportedly alters lower limb biomechanics, in particular knee joint kinematics and kinetics [23,31], and may be suitable to assess knee injury risk between sexes and limbs. However, landing from heights greater than 30 cm does occur during military-activities and warrants further study as it may illicit larger changes in lower limb biomechanics during landing.…”

“…Female military personnel are twice as likely to sustain a training-related musculoskeletal injury compared to their male counterparts [4]. This increased injury risk may be attributed to a sex dimorphism exhibited in lower limb biomechanics [20,21], particularly during landing [22,23]. During landing, females’ peak vertical GRF normalized to body weight is reportedly almost two times the magnitude exhibited by males [24].…”

Sex Disparity in Bilateral Asymmetry of Impact Forces during Height-Adjusted Drop Jumps

“…The few studies comparing the I-vGRF of males and females dropping from relative height (RH) have found that there are no sex differences during unilateral landings [ 17 , 18 ]. However, these studies were only focused on one RH (100% jump height of the countermovement jump).…”