Risk Factors and Prevention of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

• Project/Area Number: 16300198
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: TSUDA Eiichi Hirosaki University, Faculty of University Hospital, Assistant Professor (00361014)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TOH Satoshi Hirosaki University, Faculty of School of Medicine, Professor (30142863) ; ISHIBASHI Yasuyuki Hirosaki University, Faculty of School of Medicine, Associate Professor (80292142) ; 岡村 良久 青森労災病院, 整形外科, 部長 ; 小松 尚 青森県立中央病院, 整形外科, 副部長 ; 佐藤 英樹 弘前大学, 医学部附属病院, 助手
• Project Period (FY): 2004 – 2006
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2006)
• Budget Amount: ¥6,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,200,000); Fiscal Year 2006: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000); Fiscal Year 2004: ¥3,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000)
• Keywords: Anterior cruciate ligament / Sports injury / Prevention

Research Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Greater incidences of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in female athletes compared to male athletes have been reported in several studies and the mechanism is multifactorial. The purpose of this comprehensive investigation was to determine the possible risk factors that could explain the gender difference in non-contact ACL injury rate in basketball players.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred seventy-seven female and 224 male high school basketball players were recruited. The subjects underwent the following 8 screening examinations that focused on assessment of risk factors of non-contact ACL injury. (1) General joint laxity: 7-point test including shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle joint and spine. (2) Anteroposterior knee laxity: KT-1000 measurement. (3) Q-angle: Direct measurement with a goniometer. (4) Knee joint position sense: Absolute error score acquired from a joint angle replication test. (5) Postural balance: Time duration in single-limb stance with eyes closed. (6) Knee muscle strength: Isometric quadriceps and hamstrings peak torque normalized by body weight. (7) Jumping reaction time: Time delay from optical stimulation to toe-off instant in a vertical jump task. (8) Dynamic lower limb alignment: Ratio of knee distance/hip distance at landing during a drop-jump test described by Noyes. Obtained data was statistically compared between female and male subjects with Mann Whitney U-test.
RESULTS
Average score of general joint laxity was 3.8 ± 1.7 points in female players and 2.0 ± 1.3 points in male players, showing a significant difference (p<0.05). Q-angle in female players was more that 20% larger compared to male players (p<0.05). Normalized quadriceps and hamstrings strength in female players was less than 75% of that in male players (p<0.05). Ratio of knee distance/hip distance at landing in female players was 40 ± 9% and significantly smaller compared to 61 ± 15% in male players (p<0.05), indicating greater valgus lower limb alignment. There was no statistical correlation between these factors. No significant gender difference was detected in other factors investigated in this study.
DISCUSSION
Greater general joint laxity, larger q-angle, lower quadriceps and hamstrings strength and valgus dynamic lower limb alignment were suggested as possible risk factors of frequent ACL injury in female basketball players. These factors were independent of each other, and thus prevention programs of ACL injury should be designed based on the individual risk factors.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] 膝関節固有感覚の評価と前十字靭帯損傷の予防 (2006)
  • Author(s): 津田 英一, 石橋 恭之
  • Journal Title: 運動・物理療法(J.Physical Medicine) 17(3) Pages: 221-227
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] 高校生バスケットボール選手を対象とした平衡バランス機能と関節位置覚の検討 (2006)
  • Author(s): 田澤 浩司, 石橋 恭之, 津田 英一, 福田 陽, 塚田 晴彦, 林 慶充, 奈良岡 琢哉, 藤哲, 塚本 利昭, 瓜田 一貴, 秋元 博之, 尾田 敦, 吉田 英樹, 岡村 良久
  • Journal Title: 青森県スポーツ医学研究会誌 15 Pages: 29-32
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Evaluation of Knee Proprioception and Prevention of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury (2006)
  • Author(s): Eiichi Tsuda, Yasuyuki Ishibashi
  • Journal Title: Journal of Physical Medicine 17 Pages: 221-227
  • NAID: 10020603487
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Koji Tazawa, Yasuyuki Ishibashi, Eiichi Tsuda, Akira Fukuda, Harehiko Tsukada, Yoshimitsu Hayashi, Takuya Naraoka, Satoshi Toh, Toshiaki Tsukamoto, Kazuki Urita, Hiroyuki Akimoto, Atsushi Oda, Hideki Yoshida, Yushihisa Okamura (2006)
  • Author(s): Koji Tazawa, Yasuyuki Ishibashi, Eiichi Tsuda, Akira
  • Journal Title: Relationship Between Postural Balance and Joint Position Sense in High School Basketball Players 15 Pages: 29-32
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] 膝関節固有感覚の評価と前十字靭帯損傷の予防 (2006)
  • Author(s): 津田英一, 石橋恭之
  • Journal Title: 運動・物理療法 (J. Physical Medicine) 17(3) Pages: 221-227
• [Journal Article] 高校生バスケットボール選手を対象とした平衡バランス機能と関節位置覚の検討 (2006)
  • Author(s): 田澤浩司, 津田英一, 福田陽, 塚田晴彦, 林慶充, 奈良岡琢哉, 藤哲, 塚本利昭, 瓜田一貴, 秋元博之, 尾田敦, 吉田英樹, 岡村良久
  • Journal Title: 青森県スポーツ医学研究会誌 15 Pages: 29-32
• [Journal Article] 高校バスケットボール選手を対象としたジャンプ動作における下肢アライメントの評価 (2005)
  • Author(s): 林 慶充, 石橋 恭之, 津田 英一, 福田 陽, 塚田 晴彦, 藤哲, 浅野 由佳美, 秋元 博之, 尾田 敦, 吉田 英樹, 三本 木温, 法元 康二
  • Journal Title: 青森県スポーツ医学研究会誌 14 Pages: 20-24
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Evaluation of Lower Extremities Alignmet During Jump-Landing Task in High School Basketball Players (2005)
  • Author(s): Yoshimitsu Hayashi, Yasuyuki Ishibashi, Eiichi Tsuda, Akira Fukuda, Harehiko Tsukada, Satoshi Toh, Yukami Asano, Hiroyuki Akimoto, Atsushi Oda, Hideki Yoshida, Yutaka Sanbongi, Koji Hoga
  • Journal Title: Journal of Aomori Sports Medicine 14 Pages: 20-24
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] 高校バスケットボール選手を対象としたジャンプ動作における下肢アライメントの評価. (2005)
  • Author(s): 林慶充, 石橋恭之, 津田英一, 福田陽, 塚田晴彦, 藤哲, 浅野由佳美, 秋元博之, 尾田敦, 吉田英樹, 三木本温, 法方康三
  • Journal Title: 青森県スポーツ医学研究会誌 14 Pages: 20-24