Effects of Gender on Kinematics of Landing Related to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Different Soccer Positions

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of gender on kinematics of landing related to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in different soccer positions. Therefore, 15 male (height: 183 ± 6.2 cm; mass: 82 ± 9.9 kg; age: 27.9 ± 4.3 years) and 15 female (height: 169 ± 4.8 cm; mass: 60 ± 6.3 kg; age: 27.5 ± 4.6 years) soccer players were tested for landing after a jump. Kinematics variables (hip and knee flexion and knee valgus) were captured by one camera at 50 Hz from male and female defenders, midfielders, and strikers and then digitized manually by motion analysis system. The MANOVA for repeated- measures and paired t-tests were used to determine the effects of gender on kinematics of landing and the significant changes within each condition, respectively at significance level of p ? 0.05. Current finding showed that there was significant difference in knee valgus between all male and female players (p = 0.001) and also between male and female defenders (p = 0.003), midfielders (p = 0.002), and strikers (p = 0.001), but there were no significant differences between hip flexion and also in knee flexion between all male and female and their positions. We concluded that female soccer players probably have more ACL injury potential as compare to male players due to their higher knee valgus.