The effect of Stop-X injury prevention program on landing mechanics and core stability in military cadets

Background. Poor landing mechanics and core stability are risk factors contributing to knee injuries, especially Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury, in military cadets. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the Stop-X injury. Methods. In this quasi-experimental study, 40 cadets were purposefully recruited and randomly assigned either to an intervention (INT, n=20, age=19.05±0.68 years, height=1.75±0.06 m, weight=72.70±4.18 kg, BMI=23.77±1.68 kg/m2) or control group (n=20 participants, age=18.70±0.65 years, height=1.77±0.06 m, weight=74.10±4.90 kg, BMI=23.53±2.24 kg/m2). Landing Error Scoring System and McGill’s stability tests were used to evaluate landing mechanics and core stability at the baseline and the end of the study. Then, the INT group performed the Stop-X program as a warm-up program before each training session for eight weeks, whereas the CON group carried out their routine warm-up program during this time. Mann-Whitney U and ANCOVA tests were used to evaluate the changes. Results. The results obtained in the intervention group in post-test in comparison with the control group showed that there was a significant reduction in Landing Error Scoring System test scores (P=0.001), and there were significant enhancements in core stability tests (P=0.001). Moreover, the results in the intervention group revealed significant reduction in Landing Error Scoring System test scores (P=0.001) and significant enhancements in core stability tests (P=0.001), but there no significant differences were observed in the control group (P>0.05). Conclusion. In sum, the Stop-X injury prevention program may have improved landing mechanics and enhanced core stability in military cadets. Thus, Stop-X program may have reduced the risk factors associated with knee injuries in military cadets. Practical Implications. Our findings suggested that the Stop-X injury prevention program may have been used as a suitable warm-up program in military service instead of traditional warm-up to improve the neuromuscular and biomechanical risk factors.