Comparison of Knee-Joint Moments in Male and Female College Soccer Players During a Single-Leg Landing

Context: Although kinematic analyses are helpful in describing movement differences between genders, kinetic data might further explain the predisposing factors contributing to potential injury during athletic landing maneuvers. Objective: To determine whether there are differences in knee moments between male and female varsity college soccer players during a single-leg landing. Design: Preexperimental with static group comparison. Setting: Motion-analysis laboratory. Participants: 16 varsity college soccer players (8 men, 8 women). Intervention: Subjects performed 5 single-leg landings from a height of 60 cm. Main Outcome Measures: Peak internal rotation, valgus, varus, and extension knee moments calculated from raw ground-reaction forces and kinematic data. Results: Signifi cant gender differences were present (P = .020), with men exhibiting 31% greater mean peak knee-varus moments than women when landing on a single leg from 60 cm (P = .020). Conclusions: Male soccer players demonstrate greater knee-varus moments than female soccer players during single-leg landing. This might be valuable in designing clinical treatment and prevention programs for ACL injuries.