Immediate effects of a knee brace with a constraint to knee extension on knee kinematics and ground reaction forces in a stop-jump task

Am J Sports Med. 2004 Jul-Aug;32(5):1136-43. doi: 10.1177/0363546503262204. Epub 2004 May 18.

Abstract

Background: A small knee flexion angle in landing tasks was identified as a possible risk factor for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries that are common in sports.

Hypothesis: A specially designed knee brace with a constraint to knee extension would significantly increase the knee flexion angle at the landing of athletic tasks preceded with horizontal movement components, such as stop-jump tasks.

Study design: Repeated measure design for brace effects.

Methods: Three-dimensional videographic and force plate data were collected for 10 male and 10 female recreational athletes performing a stop-jump task with and without the specially designed brace. Knee flexion angle at landing, maximum knee flexion angle, and peak ground reaction forces during the stance phase of the stop-jump task were determined for each subject with and without the knee brace.

Results: The knee brace decreased the knee flexion angle at the landing by 5 degrees for both genders but did not significantly affect the peak ground reaction forces during the landing.

Conclusions: The specially designed knee brace may be a useful device in the prevention and rehabilitation of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries in sports.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Braces*
  • Equipment Design
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Knee Joint / physiology*
  • Male
  • Range of Motion, Articular / physiology*
  • Sports / physiology