000162144 001__ 162144 000162144 005__ 20251017144645.0 000162144 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.3390/medicina61071259 000162144 0248_ $$2sideral$$a144706 000162144 037__ $$aART-2025-144706 000162144 041__ $$aeng 000162144 100__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-6604-2751$$aFerrández-Laliena, Loreto$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000162144 245__ $$aDifferences in kinematic and muscle activity between ACL injury risk and healthy players in female football: influence of change of direction amplitude in a cross-sectional case–control study 000162144 260__ $$c2025 000162144 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000162144 5203_ $$aBackground and Objectives: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rates remain high and have a significant impact on female football players. This study aims to evaluate knee kinematics and lower limb muscle activity in players at risk of ACL injury compared to healthy players through three side-cutting tests. It also investigates how the amplitude of a change in direction influences stabilization parameters. Materials and Methods: A crosssectional case–control study was conducted with 16 second division female futsal players (23.93 ± 5.16 years), divided into injured (n = 8) and healthy groups (n = 8). Injured players had a history of non-contact knee injury involving valgus collapse, without undergoing surgical intervention. Three change of direction tests, namely the Change of Direction and Acceleration Test (CODAT), Go Back (GOB) test, and Turn (TURN) test, were used for evaluation. The peak and range of knee joint angles and angular velocities across three planes, along with the average rectified and peak envelope EMG signals of the Biceps Femoris (BF), Semitendinosus (ST), Vastus Medialis (VM), and Lateral Gastrocnemius (LG), were recorded during the preparation and load phases. Group differences were analyzed using two-factor mixed-model ANOVA with pairwise comparisons. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Injured players demonstrated lower external tibial rotation angular velocity and a greater range of motion in tibial external rotation compared to healthy players. Additionally, the injured group showed significantly higher average rectified muscle activity in VM and LG both increased by 4% during the load phase. The CODAT and TURN tests elicited higher BF and VM muscle activity, compared to the GOB test. The TURN test also showed greater extension angular velocity in the sagittal plane. Conclusions: The results revealed differences in knee kinematics and muscle activity between players at risk of ACL injury and healthy players, influenced by the amplitude of directional changes. Players altered transverse plane mechanics and increased VM and LG activation during LOAD may reflect a dysfunctional motor pattern, while the greater sagittal plane angular velocity and VM and BF activation from the CODAT and the TURN test highlight their higher potential to replicate ACL injury mechanisms compared to the GOB test. 000162144 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 000162144 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000162144 700__ $$0(orcid)0009-0006-7975-4594$$aVicente-Pina, Lucía$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000162144 700__ $$aSánchez-Rodríguez, Rocío$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000162144 700__ $$aChapman, Graham J. 000162144 700__ $$aHeredia-Jimenez, Jose 000162144 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-7667-2178$$aHidalgo-García, César$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000162144 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-3583-5206$$aTricás-Moreno, José Miguel$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000162144 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-9930-3903$$aLucha-López, María Orosia$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000162144 7102_ $$11003$$2027$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Anatom.Histolog.Humanas$$cArea Anatom.Embriol.Humana 000162144 7102_ $$11006$$2413$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Fisiatría y Enfermería$$cÁrea Fisioterapia 000162144 773__ $$g61, 7 (2025), 1259 [17 pp.]$$pMedicina-LithuaniaMedicina (Kaunas)$$tMedicina (Lithuania)$$x1010-660X 000162144 8564_ $$s553091$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/162144/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000162144 8564_ $$s2761106$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/162144/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000162144 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:162144$$particulos$$pdriver 000162144 951__ $$a2025-10-17-14:33:31 000162144 980__ $$aARTICLE