Preseason hip strength associated with anterior cruciate ligament injuries

• 出 处: 中华物理医学与康复杂志
• 发表日期: 2016年38期

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is most commonly ruptured knee ligament in competitive athletics, with 70% of these injuries deemed noncontact in nature. This study assessed whether isometric hip strength is associated with noncontact ACL injuries.

METHODS

Subjects were 501 athletes enrolled in a prospective case control study. Preseason hip strength was assessed bilaterally with a hand-held dynamometer, measuring hip abductors and external rotators. All athletes were followed for ACL injuries during the season, which were further classified as contact or noncontact.

RESULTS

Among the athletes, 15 noncontact ACL injuries were identified during the following season. Baseline hip external rotation and hip abduction strength were associated with increased risk of noncontact ACL injury (P＝0.001 for both comparisons). Strength cutoffs for high risk were determined. For hip external rotator strength, a cutoff of <20.3% of body weight corresponded with a 93% sensitivity and a 59% specificity, as well as a positive likelihood ratio of 2.3, and a negative likelihood ratio 0.11, for injury. For hip abductor strength, a clinical cutoff of <35.4% of body weight corresponded with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 65%, with a positive likelihood ratio of 2.5 and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.21 for injury.

CONCLUSION

This prospective study found that both hip external rotation strength and hip abduction strength tests (measured preseason) distinguished between athletes who later sustained an ACL injury.