Landing ability and muscular power may be predictors of who will develop osteoarthritis of the knee.
A new study in the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine examined 76 athletes who had suffered from ACL injury. After the injury, a battery of flexibility, strength, and power assessments were performed. Five years later, the researchers followed up to determine which of the subjects developed arthritis.
The researchers found that the patients who had struggled with the single-leg hopping tests after the injury were significantly more likely to develop arthritis five years later.
Conclusions
Plyometric and agility exercises that train proper landing mechanics and develop muscular power could potentially be a useful tool towards promoting health of the knee joint.
References
Wellsandt, E., Axe, M. J., & Snyder-Mackler, L. (2018). Poor Performance on Single-Legged Hop Tests Associated With Development of Posttraumatic Knee Osteoarthritis After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 6(11), 2325967118810775.