Comparison of Kinematic Risk Patterns Associated with ACL Injury During an Unanticipated Cutting Maneuver in Athletes with and without Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain.

Athletes with nonspecific chronic low back pain (CLBP) may have different kinematic patterns during cutting maneuver compared with healthy individuals. To investigate the kinematic risk patterns of anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) during an unexpected cutting maneuver in athletes with non-specific CLBP and compare it with those without nonspecific CLBP athletes. Twenty female athletes (10 with nonspecific CLBP and 10 without nonspecific CLBP) participated in this study. All participants engaged in sports whose common movements included cutting maneuvers. Participants performed an unanticipated cutting maneuver based on the direction in which the visual stimulus was shown by the examiner. A three-dimensional motion analysis system was used to collect the data on the knee and trunk flexion, knee valgus and tibia rotation on the femur at initial contact and peak value. Kinematic data were processed by Nexus software. An independent t-test was used in SPSS software at a significance level of 5% to compare variables between two groups. The results showed that peak trunk flexion, trunk flexion at initial contact, and peak knee valgus were significant between the two groups during the cutting maneuver. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in other variables. The results of this research indicated some kinematic pattern alterations in individuals with non-specific CLBP during the unanticipated cutting maneuver. Therefore, to prevent secondary injuries and exacerbation of back pain in athletes, it is recommended to take the non-specific CLBP of athletes into account and investigate the possible causes of its occurrence and treatment.