| Author | Darren Sillato |
| Abstract | Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most common types of injuries in both athletes and non-athletes. The phenomenon that females tend to be more prone to such injury is widely accepted, although the causes remain unclear. One of the possible causes is differences in neuromuscular timing which operates to stabilise the knee during unsafe manoeuvres. The hamstring muscles are the major stabilising force of the knee, so their timely action is crucial. The goal of this study was to measure the recruitment timing of the hamstrings in comparison with the quadriceps muscles, and evaluate any significant differences between non-athletic males and females. A convenience sample of ten subjects, five males and five females were chosen to participate in this study. The Evoked Potential of the quadriceps and hamstrings of each lower limb were recorded during the performance of a series of anterior jumps followed by squats. Male subjects obtained faster hamstring reactions in comparison with females. Comparison of dominant limbs to non-dominant limbs revealed faster reactions in the dominant musculature. These differences were small and not statistically significant. This study attempted to analyse any gender related differences in the timing of the hamstring peak contraction. Results revealed increased latencies in women, which were not statistically significant. These areas can be worked upon so as to help in the prevention of ACL injuries, and improve physiotherapy treatment of ACL injured individuals. |
Published in: | |
| Journal | B.Sc. (Honours) Physiotherapy, University of Malta |
| Volume | |
| Pages | - |
| Date | |
| Link to journal | |
| Key words | anterior cruciate ligament, physiotherapy, gender, recruitment timing, injury |