Important Body Mechanics to Prevent Injury

Increased hip flexion and increased hip abduction have been reported in female athletes who have sustained ACL tears.  2

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When looking to prevent these injuries it is important to observe and correct how much hip flexion and abduction the athlete is using to perform activities.

Decreased knee flexion causes athletes to land with a stiff knee. This impairs dissipation of forces placing more load on the knee.2

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Increased knee abduction causes the knee to move more midline in comparison to the body. This places greater load on the ACL and could put it at risk for tears.2

Landing from a jump or planting with a flat-foot leads to poor absorption of ground reaction forces. Female athletes with less dorsiflexion and a flat foot approach are at greater risk of ACL injury.2 It is important to train landing and weight shift from toes to heel to improve dissipation of forces.

The trunk allows for female athletes to control their posture during movements. Less forward lean can lead to poor balance and compensatory strategies. Increased trunk lean and strength can reduce risk of injury by improving postural control during competitive activity.2