Sex Differences in Knee Abduction During Landing: A Systematic Review

Background: Females suffer injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament at rates significantly higher than males. Frontal plane knee motion and load have been identified as major risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury and in turn have been examined extensively. Methods: A systematic review of MEDLINE, CINHAL, and SportDISCUS was performed (1982-June 2010). Criteria for inclusion were the use of 3-dimensional analyses of frontal plane knee motion and moments during landing between males and females. Results: Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Sixty-three percent of included studies identified sex differences in knee abduction when landing across a variety of landing conditions. Conclusions: Females appear to land with increased knee abduction motion compared with males in most biomechanics studies.