HAMSTRING STIFFNESS IS RELATED TO ANTERIOR TIBIAL TRANSLATION WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM NON-WEIGHT BEARING TO WEIGHT BEARING

Abstract

Anterior tibial translation (ATT) loads the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as the knee transitions from non-weight bearing (NWB) to weight bearing (WB). Therefore, any factors able to effectively reduce ATT during initial WB would theoretically reduce ACL loading. This study evaluated the extent to which hamstring musculo-articular stiffness (KHAM) is associated with ATT as the knee transitions from NWB to WB in 10 healthy females (19.9 ± 1.5 yrs, 1.65 ± 0.06 m, 62.3 ± 6.3 kg). Linear regression revealed that KHAM predicted 48.6% of the variance in ATT (R2 = .486, p = .025), with higher KHAM being associated with less ATT. KHAM is modifiable through training, and thus may be an important factor to consider from ACL injury prevention and rehabilitation perspectives.