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PhD Academy Award
Lower-extremity symmetry influences knee abduction moments during sidestepping in rugby
  1. Scott Randall Brown
  1. Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ), Auckland University of Technology, Rosedale, Auckland, New Zealand
  1. Correspondence to Dr Scott Randall Brown, Sports Performance Research In New Zealand (SPRINZ), Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, Rosedale, New Zealand; scott.brown{at}aut.ac.nz

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097868

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    What did I do?

    I (1) identified laboratory-based tools to assess a surrogate measure of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk (knee abduction (valgus) moment), (2) assessed differences between positions and legs following a theoretical model of injury risk factors and (3) outlined a new framework for assessing rugby athletes to help guide the progression of individualised training strategies.

    Why did I do it?

    ACL injuries can be devastating for rugby athletes given their substantial time loss from the sport.1 2 These potentially career-ending injuries often occur during sidestepping.3 Consequences of ACL injury can lead to reinjury and/or injury to the opposite (healthy) leg.4 Mechanical differences within the musculoskeletal system (ie, strength, balance, power5) between the two legs (asymmetry) may be a precursor to injury.6 There is currently little known regarding how much asymmetry is ‘normal’ in uninjured rugby athletes. Individualised multifactorial assessments can inform practitioners of what ‘normal’ levels of asymmetry consist of, help guide them with the performance enhancement or return-to-sport process and further educate them on interventions to decrease the risk of reinjury.5 …

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Ethics approval Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee (13/378)

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.