Horizontal jumping biomechanics among elite male handball players with and without anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. An inertial sensor unit-based study

Igor Setuain; Eder Bikandi; Francisco Antonio Amú-Ruiz; Mikel Izquierdo

doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2019.06.009

Horizontal jumping biomechanics among elite male handball players with and without anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. An inertial sensor unit-based study

Phys Ther Sport. 2019 Sep:39:52-63. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2019.06.009. Epub 2019 Jun 22.

Authors

Igor Setuain¹, Eder Bikandi², Francisco Antonio Amú-Ruiz³, Mikel Izquierdo⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Av. de Tarazona s/n. 31500, Tudela, Navarra, Spain; TDN. Advanced Rehabilitation Center, Clinical Research Department. Calle V, 3. 31192 Mutilva Baja, Navarra, Spain. Electronic address: isetuain@tdnclinica.es.
² Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Av. de Tarazona s/n. 31500, Tudela, Navarra, Spain; Athletic Club, Mazarredo Zumarkalea, 23. 48009, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain. Electronic address: ederbikandi@gmail.com.
³ Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Av. de Tarazona s/n. 31500, Tudela, Navarra, Spain; Department of Sports Science, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia. Electronic address: francisco.amu@correounivalle.edu.co.
⁴ Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Av. de Tarazona s/n. 31500, Tudela, Navarra, Spain. Electronic address: mikel.izquierdo@gmail.com.

PMID: 31254917
DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2019.06.009

Abstract

Objectives: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one of the most devastating injuries that any handball player can suffer during landing and pivoting actions. The aim of this study was to analyze the horizontal jumping biomechanics among male elite handball players with or without previous ACLR.

Design: Descriptive study.

Setting: Spanish elite male handball players.

Participants: Twenty-six male participants (6 ACL-R and 20 uninjured controls) were recruited.

Main outcome measures: Two horizontal hopping tasks were evaluated using an inertial sensor unit (ISU)-based technology to assess jumping biomechanics through a direct mechanics-based approach.

Results: Non-significant differences were found in relation to any of the biomechanical or performance related analyzed variables.

Conclusions: Previously ACL-R elite male handball players who have returned to the top level of sports participation do not seem to possess lasting biomechanical and/or performance deficits 6 years after the original surgical ligament repair.

Keywords: ACL; Functional evaluation; Inertial sensor; Injury; Knee.

MeSH terms

Adult
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction*
Athletes*
Biomechanical Phenomena / physiology*
Case-Control Studies
Humans
Lower Extremity / physiology*
Male
Movement / physiology*
Sports
Transducers