Considering the biomechanical relationships of the ACL loading with these lower extremity kinematics and kinetics in our stochastic biomechanical model, the results confirmed that these lower extremity kinematic and kinetic variables are risk factors for non-contact ACL injury. The results of this study also showed that recreational athletes had significantly greater patella tendon force, quadriceps muscle force, knee extension moment,

and Selleck Pfizer Licensed Compound Library proximal tibia anterior shear force in the simulated trials with injuries than in the simulated trials without injuries. These differences, however, are due to the differences in peak impact posterior ground reaction force between simulated injured and uninjured trials, and therefore, should not be considered as separate risk factors. Knee flexion angle affects ACL loading through its effects on the

patella tendon-tibia shaft angle and ACL elevation angle as modeled in the stochastic biomechanical model in this study. The patella tendon-tibia shaft angle is increased as the knee flexion angle is decreased.31 The anterior draw force applied at proximal tibia is increased as the patella tendon-tibia shaft angle is increased while KU-57788 research buy the quadriceps force remains a constant. The ACL loading is increased as the anterior shear force at proximal tibia is increased. The ACL elevation angle is also increased as the knee flexion angle is decreased.32 The ACL loading is increased as the ACL elevation angle is increased while the anterior draw force at proximal tibia remains constant. Previous studies repeatedly demonstrate that decreasing knee flexion angle increases ACL loading.33, 34, 35 and 36 A small knee flexion angle at landing, therefore, would increase the risk of non-contact ACL injury. Impact peak posterior ground reaction force

affects ACL loading through its effects on the quadriceps force and patella tendon force as modeled in the stochastic biomechanical 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase model. A posterior ground reaction force creates a flexion moment at the knee joint which needs to be balanced by a knee extension moment generated by the quadriceps muscles through the patella tendon. The greater the posterior ground reaction force is, the greater the knee extension moment28 and thus the greater the quadriceps force and patella tendon force (Table 2). The ACL loading is increased as the patella tendon force is increased when the knee flexion angle is less than 60°.31, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42 Previous studies demonstrate that the in vivo maximum ACL loading in a landing task occurs at time when the peak impact vertical ground reaction force occurs, 25 and 26 and that the peak impact posterior and vertical forces occur at the same time. 28 Increasing the peak impact posterior ground reaction force, therefore, would also increase ACL loading and thus the risk of non-contact ACL injury.