THE EFFECT OF LIMB PREFERENCE ON KNEE MECHANICS DURING A FATIGUED UNANTICIPATED SIDESTEPPING MANOEUVRE

Abstract

Fatigue may adversely affect knee kinetics and kinematics during the sidestepping manoeuvre. There is a lack of research examining the effect of limb preference on knee mechanics during fatigued unanticipated sidestepping. Twelve female collegiate soccer and field hockey players performed right and left unanticipated sidestepping prior to and following completion of a fatigue protocol. Magnitude based inferences were used to assess the impact of limb preference on knee mechanics during initial contact, weight acceptance, peak push-off, and final push-off of the sidestep. The preferred limb was more likely to experience increased coronal plane loading, whereas the non-preferred limb is more likely to experience increased transverse plane loading during fatigued, unanticipated sidestepping.