A comparison of dynamic coronal plane excursion between matched male and female athletes when performing single leg landings Kevin R. Ford a, * , Gregory D. Myer a , Rose L. Smith b , Rebecca M. Vianello b , Shelly L. Seiwert b , Timothy E. Hewett a,b,c a Sports Medicine Biodynamics Center and Human Performance Laboratory, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10001, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA b College of Allied Health Sciences, Physical Therapy Department, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA c College of Medicine, Departments of Pediatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA Received 12 May 2005; accepted 10 August 2005 Abstract Background. Despite recent evidence supporting the use of neuromuscular training to reduce anterior cruciate ligament injury risk, female athletes continue to show an increased anterior cruciate ligament injury rate in collegiate basketball and soccer when compared to males. The purpose of the current study was to identify gender and task differences in measures that may increase the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury in female basketball and soccer athletes. Methods. Eleven female and 11 male collegiate basketball and soccer athletes were height (female mean 176 (SD 8 cm), male mean 176 (SD 8 cm)) and weight (female mean 73 (SD 7 kg), male mean 74 (SD 6 kg)) matched. Three-dimensional motion analysis was used to calculate differences in total coronal plane angular joint excursion (maximum–minimum) between male and female athletes when performing a series of medially and laterally directed drop landings. Findings. Female athletes demonstrated increased total coronal plane excursion for the hip, knee and ankle (P < 0.05) during the medial drop landing. During the lateral drop landing females displayed increased excursion at the hip and knee. When comparing tasks, the lateral drop landing resulted in greater coronal plane excursion at the hip (P < 0.05) while the knee showed no differences between movements. In contrast, females demonstrated increased ankle excursion during the medial drop task (P < 0.05). Interpretation. Female athletes demonstrate increased lower extremity coronal plane excursion when performing single leg drop landing in both the medial and lateral direction when compared to height/weight matched male athletes. This increased coronal plane oscillation of lower extremity joints may be related to the increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury for female basketball and soccer athletes. Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Valgus knee; ACL injury; Gender differences; Neuromuscular; Biomechanics 1. Introduction Females who participate in pivoting and jumping sports suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries at a 4- to 6-fold greater rate than males participating in the same landing and pivoting sports (Malone et al., 1993; Arendt and Dick, 1995). Specifically, collegiate basketball and soccer athletes over the past decade show consistent gender differences in non-contact ACL inju- ries (Agel et al., 2005). The combination of greater ACL injury risk and dramatically larger number of female sports participants over the last 30 years has 0268-0033/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2005.08.010 * Corresponding author. E-mail address: kevin.ford@cchmc.org (K.R. Ford). www.elsevier.com/locate/clinbiomech Clinical Biomechanics 21 (2006) 33–40