Basketball biomechanics: side cut as noncontact acl injury screening

Professional basketball players experience a high rate of game-related injuries and a large number of non-contact injuries have been documented. Neuromuscular risk factors have provided strong theoretical support to clinical observations, in relation to non-contact Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury prevention. However, many publications addressing neuromuscular risk factors were performed in controlled laboratory studies. This study aims at investigating the association between altered movement patterns and neuromuscular risk factors during tasks which athletes frequently perform during competition, such as side-cuts with and without attending to a ball. Our results indicate that the effect of attending a ball while performing a side-cut impact on lower limb biomechanics and lead to greater knee valgus moment and flexion angles.