Does type of unanticipated stimulus alter knee mechanics during dynamic tasks?

Noncontact ACL injuries occur during dynamic movements, and females are more than twice as likely to have an ACL injury compared to males. Decision-making tasks have shown altered knee mechanics and may better represent game-like scenarios in the lab. However, it is unknown if the unanticipated stimuli commonly used replicate real-life scenarios. Eight females and eight males completed sidecutting tasks with a visual stimulus and a human defensive opponent stimulus. Sagittal plane knee loading increased with the defender compared to the visual stimulus for males and females, while the visual stimulus increased frontal plane loading for females.