Athletes with a History of ACL Reconstruction Exhibit Greater Inter-Limb Asymmetry in Impact Forces During the First Landing of a Drop Vertical Jump Compared to the Second Landing

The primary objective of this study was to examine the degree of inter-limb asymmetry in impact force mag-nitudes and rates during the first and second landings of a drop vertical jump in adolescent athletes with a history of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. We also compared the degree of asymmetry exhibited by the athletes who had undergone ACL reconstruction to a group of uninjured athletes. This study included 14 athletes who had undergone ACL reconstruction and 28 uninjured athletes, matched for age, sex, and sport. All athletes completed a double-leg drop vertical jump task. Peak vertical ground reaction forces (vGRFs) and loading rates were examined for both limbs during the first and second landings of the drop vertical jump. For the athletes who had undergone ACL reconstruction, peak vGRFs were 11.9% greater for the uninvolved limb vs. the involved limb during the first landing; however, peak vGRFs were only 2.4% greater for the uninvolved limb (vs. the involved limb) during the second landing. The athletes who had undergone ACL reconstruction exhibited greater asymmetry in peak vGRFs for the first landing compared to the uninjured athletes; however, there was no dif-ference between the groups (ACL reconstruction, uninjured) for the second landing.

Automated summary

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the asymmetry of impact force magnitudes and rates in the first and second landings of a drop vertical jump in adolescent athletes with a history of ACL reconstruction. The degree of asymmetry in ACL-reconstructed athletes was compared to a group of uninjured athletes. The findings showed that the peak vertical ground reaction forces were greater in the uninvolved limb compared to the involved limb during the first landing, but there was no significant difference during the second landing. ACL-reconstructed athletes exhibited greater asymmetry in peak vertical ground reaction forces during the first landing compared to uninjured athletes, but there was no difference between the two groups for the second landing.