Effect of knee control injury prevention program on landing mechanics, strength of selected lower limb muscles and core stability in adolescent male soccer players

Introduction: Landing mechanics, lower limb muscle strength and central stability are risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injuries in young football players. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the knee control injury prevention program on landing mechanics, strength of selected lower limb muscles and central stability in adolescent male soccer players.  Methods: The statistical population of this semi-experimental research included teenage soccer players with poor landing mechanics, 50 of whom were purposefully selected as a statistical sample and then randomly divided into two groups of experiment (number = 25 people, age = 62/ 12.70 ± 0 years, height = 1.52 ± 0.07 meters, weight = 48.87 ± 6.6 kg) and control (number = 25 people, age = 12.58 ± 0.65 years, height = 08 1.52 ± 0.0 m, weight = 50.45 ± 6.79 kg). In this study, landing mechanics were evaluated with the landing error test, thigh abduction and external rotation strength with MMT, and central stability with McGill tests at the beginning and end of the study. The subjects of the experimental group used the knee control program in the warm-up section for 8 weeks. While the control group did their usual warm-up during this time. Yeoman-Whitney and ANOVA tests were used to compare the differences between the two groups. Result: The results showed that the experimental group compared to the control group after the test had a significant decrease in the landing error test scores (Z = -5.62; P = 0.001) and a significant improvement in thigh abduction strength ( F = 14.26; P = 0.001), thigh external rotation strength (F = 10.74; P = 0.002) and central stability tests (F = 26.39; P = 0.001). Conclusion: This study showed that the implementation of the knee control injury prevention program can improve the landing mechanics, abduction and external rotation strength of the thigh, and central stability in teenage soccer players. Therefore, it seems that the knee control program can be effective in preventing the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in young male football players.