Relationship between Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury and Subtalar Pronation in Female Basketball Players: Case-Control Study

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine 2023-12, Vol.12 (24), p.7539
• Main Authors: Carabasa García, Laura, Lorca-Gutiérrez, Rubén, Vicente-Mampel, Juan, Part-Ferrer, Roser, Fernández-Ehrling, Nadia, Ferrer-Torregrosa, Javier
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Basketball; Biomechanics; Care and treatment; Clinical medicine; Females; Independent sample; Joint and ligament injuries; Jumping; Knee; Patient outcomes; Sample size; Sports injuries; Statistical analysis
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm12247539

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are a common issue in basketball. Several studies point to subtalar pronation as a relevant risk factor for these injuries, despite their multiarticular and multiplanar nature. This study evaluated the correlation between subtalar pronation and ACL injuries in female basketball players. A total of 30 players were recruited and divided into two groups: 15 with previous ACL injury and 15 without injury. The navicular drop test (NDT) and drop vertical jump test were applied to quantify parameters such as navicular drop, calcaneal eversion, ankle dorsiflexion, knee flexion, and dynamic valgus. The results showed significantly higher NDT values (6.93 ± 1.64 mm vs. 5.41 ± 1.96 mm, = 0.029) and maximum calcaneal eversion angle (10.94 ± 3.22° vs. 5.30 ± 3.33°, < 0.001) in the injured group. There were also significant differences in maximum dynamic valgus (152.73 ± 15.00° vs. 165.26 ± 5.628°, = 0.005) and knee flexion (93.70 ± 7.47° vs. 82.92 ± 11.14°, = 0.004) between groups. These findings suggest that subtalar pronation, assessed by NDT, and calcaneal eversion could be indicators of higher susceptibility to ACL injuries in female basketball players.