Is the knee joint more vulnerable to injury in unplanned cutting tasks? An EMG vector field analysis of high-level female athletes

IF 1.6 4区医学 Q3 ORTHOPEDICS

Knee Pub Date : 2025-04-21 DOI:10.1016/j.knee.2025.04.002

Kevin Bill , Patrick Mai , Uwe G. Kersting , Tron Krosshaug

{"title":"Is the knee joint more vulnerable to injury in unplanned cutting tasks? An EMG vector field analysis of high-level female athletes","authors":"Kevin Bill , Patrick Mai , Uwe G. Kersting , Tron Krosshaug","doi":"10.1016/j.knee.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Neuromuscular activation and peak external knee abduction moments (pKAM) are risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injuries during sidestep cutting. This study aimed to: 1) compare thigh muscle activity between preplanned and unplanned sidestep cuts, 2) assess rank correlations of mean thigh muscle pre-activity in both cuts, 3) investigate the relationship between pKAM and thigh muscle activity in 31 experienced female handball players.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Four-component (vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, semitendinosus, biceps femoris) electromyogram vector fields were compared from 100 ms before ground contact until toe-off using Statistical Parametric Mapping. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to assess rank correlations of mean pre-activity of individual muscles between cuts. Relationships between pKAM and the four-component electromyogram vector fields were assessed using Canonical Correlation Analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Four-component muscle activity differed before ground contact and push-off, mostly due to activity differences in muscle pairs. Individual analyses showed lower vastus medialis activity in unplanned cuts right before ground contact. High pre-activity rank correlations were found for vastus medialis and lateralis, moderate for semitendinosus, and none for biceps femoris between preplanned and unplanned cuts. Canonical correlation analyses indicated no relationship between muscle activity and pKAM.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The knee might be more vulnerable to injury in unplanned tasks due to lower muscular pre-activity. Muscle activity does not vary with pKAM, suggesting passive structures must absorb higher loads with increasing pKAM. Differences in vastus medialis pre-activity and inconsistencies in biceps femoris pre-activity ranking highlight areas for targeted neuromuscular training to better protect the knee against external loads.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56110,"journal":{"name":"Knee","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 62-69"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Knee","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968016025000730","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ORTHOPEDICS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

Neuromuscular activation and peak external knee abduction moments (pKAM) are risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injuries during sidestep cutting. This study aimed to: 1) compare thigh muscle activity between preplanned and unplanned sidestep cuts, 2) assess rank correlations of mean thigh muscle pre-activity in both cuts, 3) investigate the relationship between pKAM and thigh muscle activity in 31 experienced female handball players.

Methods

Four-component (vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, semitendinosus, biceps femoris) electromyogram vector fields were compared from 100 ms before ground contact until toe-off using Statistical Parametric Mapping. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to assess rank correlations of mean pre-activity of individual muscles between cuts. Relationships between pKAM and the four-component electromyogram vector fields were assessed using Canonical Correlation Analysis.

Results

Four-component muscle activity differed before ground contact and push-off, mostly due to activity differences in muscle pairs. Individual analyses showed lower vastus medialis activity in unplanned cuts right before ground contact. High pre-activity rank correlations were found for vastus medialis and lateralis, moderate for semitendinosus, and none for biceps femoris between preplanned and unplanned cuts. Canonical correlation analyses indicated no relationship between muscle activity and pKAM.

Conclusion

The knee might be more vulnerable to injury in unplanned tasks due to lower muscular pre-activity. Muscle activity does not vary with pKAM, suggesting passive structures must absorb higher loads with increasing pKAM. Differences in vastus medialis pre-activity and inconsistencies in biceps femoris pre-activity ranking highlight areas for targeted neuromuscular training to better protect the knee against external loads.

查看原文本刊更多论文

在计划外的切割任务中，膝关节是否更容易受伤？高水平女运动员肌电矢量场分析

目的神经肌肉激活和膝关节外展峰时刻（pKAM）是前交叉韧带侧切损伤的危险因素。本研究的目的是：1)比较预切和非预切的大腿肌肉活动，2)评估两种预切的平均大腿肌肉活动的等级相关性，3)研究31名经验丰富的女子手球运动员的pKAM与大腿肌肉活动的关系。方法采用统计参数映射的方法，对接触地面前100 ms至脚尖起跳期间的四组分（股内侧肌、股外侧肌、半腱肌、股二头肌）肌电矢量场进行比较。Spearman等级相关系数用于评估切割之间单个肌肉平均预活动的等级相关性。使用典型相关分析评估pKAM与四分量肌电矢量场之间的关系。结果四组份肌肉在接触地面和蹬地前的活动存在差异，主要是由于肌肉对的活动差异。个体分析显示，在接触地面前的意外割伤中，股内侧肌活动较低。术前活动等级相关性较高的是股内侧肌和股外侧肌，中等程度的是半腱肌，而事先和非事先切割的股二头肌没有相关性。典型相关分析表明，肌肉活动与pKAM没有关系。结论膝关节肌肉前活动较低，在计划外活动中更易发生损伤。肌肉活动不随pKAM而变化，这表明被动结构必须随着pKAM的增加而吸收更高的负荷。股内侧肌前活动的差异和股二头肌前活动排名的不一致突出了有针对性的神经肌肉训练区域，以更好地保护膝盖免受外部负荷的影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Knee 医学-外科

CiteScore

3.80

自引率

5.30%

发文量

171

审稿时长

6 months

期刊介绍： The Knee is an international journal publishing studies on the clinical treatment and fundamental biomechanical characteristics of this joint. The aim of the journal is to provide a vehicle relevant to surgeons, biomedical engineers, imaging specialists, materials scientists, rehabilitation personnel and all those with an interest in the knee. The topics covered include, but are not limited to: • Anatomy, physiology, morphology and biochemistry; • Biomechanical studies; • Advances in the development of prosthetic, orthotic and augmentation devices; • Imaging and diagnostic techniques; • Pathology; • Trauma; • Surgery; • Rehabilitation.