Presentation Type
Poster
Department
Kinesiology
Location
Walker Conference Center B
Description
Anterior Cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are prevalent due to athletes participating in sports involving quick movements, sudden stops, and jump-landing movements. An ACL injury happens by a tear at the ligament. Multiple studies have found that women have a higher risk of ACL injuries than men due to neuromuscular and biomechanical factors. Specifically, during jump landing the following risk factors were found decreased knee and hip flexion, increased quadriceps dominance vs. hamstring muscles being used, and valgus knee compared to men. Women rely more on their quadriceps strength more than their hamstring strength which causes anterior tibial stress which can be a predictor for ACL tears. While men demonstrate more strength in their hamstring muscles rather than their quadriceps when flexing their knee and hip.
The reason hamstring strength is so beneficial is to allow optimal strength to fully flex the knee. The answer to ACL prevention is preventative exercise programs that have combined exercises that focus on plyometrics, eccentric strengthening for hamstrings, and balance. Over multiple studies these areas of exercises have been chosen to reduce the risk factors of young female athletes. The goal is to implement an ACL preventative program for young female athletes to strengthen their hamstrings, enhance their jump-landing control, and balance. The purpose of this study is to investigate hamstring strength for ACL prevention and to investigate pre- and post-testing with the McCall hamstring Test involving force plates. The prevention program lasted four weeks which included the baseline testing and the exercises.
This test will be conducted by using force plates called KINVENT K-Deltas, where the participants will place their heel on top of the plate with the other leg laying flexed or flat on the ground. On the two K-plates, the participants will exert as much force as they can through their left and right leg to measure maximum strength in their hamstrings. All the exercises listed were completed by the participants three times a week. The investigators had the participants complete plyometric exercises such as the double leg lateral cone jump. The participants also completed strengthening exercises. The strengthening exercises targeted the hamstrings and quadriceps. The participants participated in leg curls with a towel and seated hamstring curls with a TheraBand. The balance section included a single leg balance on two types of balance mats. Then the participants advanced to tossing a ball while balancing on a single leg. Each week we evaluated how the program was going and implemented modifications to the exercises or by giving feedback. Then lastly, we conducted another baseline test the fourth week and gathered the post data. The investigators hypothesized that the recommended exercises in the areas of plyometrics, strengthening, and balance, will increase the athletes’ hamstring strength as investigated through the McCall hamstring test.
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Included in
The Effects of a Four Week ACL-Prevention Program on the McCall Hamstring Test in High School Female Volleyball Athletes
Walker Conference Center B
Anterior Cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are prevalent due to athletes participating in sports involving quick movements, sudden stops, and jump-landing movements. An ACL injury happens by a tear at the ligament. Multiple studies have found that women have a higher risk of ACL injuries than men due to neuromuscular and biomechanical factors. Specifically, during jump landing the following risk factors were found decreased knee and hip flexion, increased quadriceps dominance vs. hamstring muscles being used, and valgus knee compared to men. Women rely more on their quadriceps strength more than their hamstring strength which causes anterior tibial stress which can be a predictor for ACL tears. While men demonstrate more strength in their hamstring muscles rather than their quadriceps when flexing their knee and hip.
The reason hamstring strength is so beneficial is to allow optimal strength to fully flex the knee. The answer to ACL prevention is preventative exercise programs that have combined exercises that focus on plyometrics, eccentric strengthening for hamstrings, and balance. Over multiple studies these areas of exercises have been chosen to reduce the risk factors of young female athletes. The goal is to implement an ACL preventative program for young female athletes to strengthen their hamstrings, enhance their jump-landing control, and balance. The purpose of this study is to investigate hamstring strength for ACL prevention and to investigate pre- and post-testing with the McCall hamstring Test involving force plates. The prevention program lasted four weeks which included the baseline testing and the exercises.
This test will be conducted by using force plates called KINVENT K-Deltas, where the participants will place their heel on top of the plate with the other leg laying flexed or flat on the ground. On the two K-plates, the participants will exert as much force as they can through their left and right leg to measure maximum strength in their hamstrings. All the exercises listed were completed by the participants three times a week. The investigators had the participants complete plyometric exercises such as the double leg lateral cone jump. The participants also completed strengthening exercises. The strengthening exercises targeted the hamstrings and quadriceps. The participants participated in leg curls with a towel and seated hamstring curls with a TheraBand. The balance section included a single leg balance on two types of balance mats. Then the participants advanced to tossing a ball while balancing on a single leg. Each week we evaluated how the program was going and implemented modifications to the exercises or by giving feedback. Then lastly, we conducted another baseline test the fourth week and gathered the post data. The investigators hypothesized that the recommended exercises in the areas of plyometrics, strengthening, and balance, will increase the athletes’ hamstring strength as investigated through the McCall hamstring test.
Comments
This poster was presented in partial fulfillment of the Biomechanical Analysis course taught by Dr. Terry DeWitt.