Effect of Corrective Exercises Program on Strength، ROM, and Performance in Basketball Players with Dynamic Knee Valgus

The most common mechanism of anterior cruciate ligament injury in basketball is non-contact and dynamic knee valgus is the key risk factor of these injuries. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of corrective exercise program on strength, ROM, and performance in basketball players with dynamic knee valgus.

A total of 32 basketball players (age: 20.8± 1.7 years, weight :74.0± 5.2 kg, height: 183.9± 5.0 cm) with dynamic knee valgus participated in the current study and were randomly divided into two groups of exercise (n=16) and control (n=16). Assessment included ROM (dorsiflexion, abduction, and external rotation of the hip), strength (dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, abduction, and external rotation of the hip), and performance (balance and hop test) in dominant leg.

Data analysis via ANCOVA showed that the exercise groups experienced significant reduction (P<0/01) in dynamic knee valgus (6/51 degree) during drop-jump task, significant improvement (P<0/01) in ROM (3/43 degree dorsiflexion with the knee flexion, 2/25 degree dorsiflexion with the knee extension, 2/38 degree abduction, and 1/75 degree external rotation of the hip), strength (2/32 kg dorsiflexion, 4/87 kg plantarflexion, 1/82 kg abduction and 1/58 kg external rotation of the hip), balance (3/33 cm), and hop tests (13/25 cm).

It can be concluded that participation in this corrective exercises program can lead to significant improvement in strength and ROM distal and proximal knee joint and performance, and it seems that it can help for prevention of lower extremity injuries caused by dynamic knee valgus during functional activity.