The impact of the foot contact position and cutting angle during cutting on the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Junsuke Kawachi, Masaaki Sakamoto
PMID 33519067WHAT IT FOUND
Landing with the foot outside the body during sharp cuts increased loading rate and decreased knee flexion compared to landing with the foot in front.
This combination may raise ACL injury risk. Coaches should consider cueing athletes to incline their whole body into the cut.
Key findings
01The loading rate was significantly higher when participants landed with their foot lateral to the body during a 60-degree cut compared to landing anteriorly during a 30-degree cut.
02Knee flexion angle was significantly smaller during the lateral 60-degree cut compared to both anterior cuts, indicating a stiffer landing strategy.
03Pelvic forward inclination decreased significantly as the cutting angle increased, regardless of foot contact position.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only seven healthy male participants, limiting generalisability to female athletes or those with existing knee pathology. The tasks were performed from a stationary two-legged jump without a run-up, which does not replicate the approach speed of real-game cutting. The analysis focused primarily on sagittal plane mechanics and did not assess knee valgus or rotational moments, which are key ACL injury mechanisms. Approach and exit speeds were not measured, so the relationship between these biomechanical findings and actual performance outcomes is unclear.
Declared interests
The authors declared no funding sources and no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of significant difference in peak vertical ground reaction force as evidence that lateral foot contact is safe. The study found significantly higher loading rates and reduced knee flexion in the lateral condition, which are distinct risk factors for ACL injury.