Horizontal jumping biomechanics among elite female handball players with and without anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: an ISU based study

Handball is a strenuous body-contact team sport that places high loads on the knee joint. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is one of the most devastating injuries that any handball player can suffer, and female athletes are at particular risk due to their intrinsic anatomical, hormonal, neuromuscular and biomechanical characteristics. The purpose of this study was to analyze the horizontal jumping biomechanics of female elite handball players with or without previous ACL reconstruction. Twenty-one female participants (6 with previous ACL reconstruction and 15 uninjured controls) were recruited. Two horizontal hopping tasks were evaluated using inertial sensor unit (ISU)-based technology to assess jumping biomechanics through a direct mechanics-based approach. The athletes with previous ACL reconstruction demonstrated a significant (