Valgus Knee Motion during Landing in High School Female and Male Basketball Players

Eighty-one high school basketball players, 47 female and 34 male, volunteered to participate in this study. Valgus knee motion and varus-valgus angles during a drop vertical jump (DVJ) were calculated for each subject. The DVJ maneuver consisted of dropping off of a box, landing and immediately performing a maximum vertical jump. The first landing phase was used for the analysis.

Female athletes landed with greater total valgus knee motion and a greater maximum valgus knee angle than male athletes. Female athletes had significant differences between their dominant and nondominant side in maximum valgus knee angle.