Contact times of change-of-direction manoeuvres are influenced by age and the type of sports: a novel protocol using the SpeedCourt® system

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2019 Mar;27(3):991-999. doi: 10.1007/s00167-018-5192-z. Epub 2018 Oct 12.

Abstract

Purpose: Side-to-side asymmetry in side-cutting manoeuvres is a known risk factor for severe knee injury. Potential leg asymmetry during ground contact times of different change-of-direction manoeuvres was evaluated in athletes by means of the recently developed SpeedCourt® system. The hypotheses were that ground contact times and the limb symmetry index are affected by age and the type of sports.

Methods: One-hundred and sixty-five athletes (149 men, 16 women, age 16.5 ± 5.1) of popular team sports such as football, team handball and baseball were assessed by means of three different tests [side-hop, lateral change-of-direction (COD) and diagonal COD] using the SpeedCourt® system. Analysis included the factors age, sex, type of sports, ground contact time, leg symmetry index and limb dominance.

Results: During lateral but not diagonal COD tests, football players had shorter contact times than players of team handball (p = 0.026) and baseball (p = 0.015) of the same age group. The side-hop tests yielded differences in the leg symmetry index between players < 16 years and players > 16 years (p < 0.01). Mean ground contact time differed in each of the side-hop, lateral COD and diagonal COD tests (143.5 ± 20.0 vs. 256.2 ± 66.1 vs. 320.4 ± 55.0). Contact times and test durations of side-hop, lateral COD and diagonal COD tests were shorter for older players (p < 0.01).

Conclusions: Ground contact times of side-hop and change-of-direction manoeuvres are influenced by age, the type of sports and limb dominance. Such information is fundamental for future sports medicine research and needs to be considered in pre-season screening or when used as a criterion for return-to-competition of players with previous severe knee injury. Assessment of change-of-direction manoeuvres should be included in future return-to-competition test batteries.

Level of evidence: III.

Keywords: ACL; Asymmetry; Change of direction; Differences; Injury; Knee; Rehabilitation; Return-to-sport; Severe; Side; Side-hop; SpeedCourt®.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age Factors
  • Athletes*
  • Athletic Performance / physiology*
  • Biomechanical Phenomena / physiology
  • Child
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Sports / physiology*
  • Young Adult