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Knee anterior laxity: a risk factor for traumatic knee injury among sportswomen?

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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate if knee anterior laxity, measured with an arthrometer, is a risk factor for traumatic knee injury in sportswomen. To allow a more complete analysis, other, easily measured variables such as anthropometry, lower leg characteristics, sport exposure and menstrual cycle characteristics were also evaluated as possible risk factors. Subjects were Slovenian sportswomen aged between 11 and 41 years participating in basketball, team handball and volleyball (N = 540). Sportswomen were tested in the pre-season and followed for one season. The data collection included: written informed consent, background questionnaire, anthropometric tests, leg dominance assessment, navicular drop test (measurement of foot pronation), passive knee extension assessment and measurement of knee anterior laxity with a KT arthrometer. Several sets of data analysis were performed including logistic regression analysis in order to build a model for predicting traumatic knee injury among sportswomen. Height and average hours of training per week were found to differ significantly (P < 0.05) between injured and uninjured sportswomen. More sportswomen injured their non-dominant leg. Traumatic knee injuries among Slovenian sportswomen participating in basketball, team handball and volleyball are associated with higher amounts of training, greater body height and greater knee anterior laxity. Only 1% of the variability in traumatic knee injuries among sportswomen were explained with those variables suggesting that there are many other variables associated with traumatic knee injuries among sportswomen than were tested in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Studies, University of Ljubljana, Poljanska cesta 26 A, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Renata Vauhnik

  2. Division of Applied Biomedical Research, School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK

    Renata Vauhnik, Matthew C. Morrissey & Olga M. Rutherford

  3. Arthron-Institute for Joint and Sports Injuries, Celje, Slovenia

    Renata Vauhnik & Iztok A. Pilih

  4. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, General Hospital Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia

    Zmago Turk

  5. Department of Traumatology, General Hospital Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia

    Iztok A. Pilih

  6. Department of Medical Informatics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Maja Pohar

Authors
  1. Renata Vauhnik
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  2. Matthew C. Morrissey
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  3. Olga M. Rutherford
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  4. Zmago Turk
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  6. Maja Pohar
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Correspondence to Renata Vauhnik.

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Vauhnik, R., Morrissey, M.C., Rutherford, O.M. et al. Knee anterior laxity: a risk factor for traumatic knee injury among sportswomen?. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthr 16, 823–833 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-008-0559-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-008-0559-1

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