The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) and Lower Limb Power Profiles in Elite Rugby Union Players.
Stephen Rowell, Nicola Relph
PMID 34631249WHAT IT FOUND
Most elite rugby players in this study scored poorly on landing mechanics, yet those with worse scores produced higher power and reactive strength.
This suggests poor landing form does not necessarily mean lower athletic performance, complicating the use of the LESS to screen for injury risk.
Key findings
01The overall mean Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) score for the players was 7.039, which falls into the 'poor' category.
02Players with moderate to poor LESS scores (>5) demonstrated significantly greater power, lower contact time, and greater reactive strength index compared to those with excellent to good scores.
03There was no significant difference in jump height between the players with excellent to good LESS scores and those with moderate to poor scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional and does not link LESS scores or performance measures to actual injury incidence, so it cannot confirm if these findings predict ACL injury risk. The sample size is small (36 players) and limited to elite rugby union players, so results may not generalize to other sports or lower-level athletes. The authors note that it is unknown whether the higher performance measures in the poor LESS group were due to active neuromuscular capacity or passive structure loading. Effect sizes for the differences in power, contact time, and reactive strength were small to medium, limiting the magnitude of the observed differences.
Declared interests
No specific conflicts of interest or funding sources are explicitly detailed in the provided text beyond the ethical approval reference.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher power and reactive strength in players with poor LESS scores as evidence that poor landing mechanics are beneficial or safe. The study did not measure injury outcomes, so it does not prove that these high-performance but poor-mechanics athletes are at lower risk of ACL injury.