The Influence of Badminton on the Anterior Stability of the Knee in Badminton Players between 10 and 12 Years of Age

Abstract

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is a common injury in athletes and physically active people, for that reason it is a very interesting topic for orthopedics and physiotherapists. The ACL tear can lead to knee joint instability. There are two main mechanisms of the ACL tear that are described in the literature during which this injury occurs: landing after a jump and dynamic lunges. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of badminton training on sagittal knee stability in young badminton players aged from 10 to 12 years old. Additionally, subjects were tested using the functional movement screen (FMS). One hundred sixteen children were included in this study. The study group consisted of 68 children, practicing badminton on a regular basis. The control group included 48 children who did not practice any sport. The results indicated that regular practice of badminton did not influence sagittal knee stability in youth players. It was also demonstrated that badminton training influences the final score in the FMS in badminton players. Additionally, based on the results of this study, there was a significant relationship between the FMS score and frontal knee stability. Considering these results, we can conclude that adequate motor preparation and badminton training have a beneficial effect on the stability of the knee joints in young badminton players.