The non-injured leg can be used as a reference for the injured leg in single-legged hop tests

Abstract

Background Single-legged hop tests are frequently used in substantiating return to sport decisions following lower extremity injury. Evidence for using the non-injured leg as a reference for the injured leg in the return to sport decision-making at the criterion-based point of return to sport following lower extremity injury is lacking. Purpose To compare absolute values in single-legged hop tests between the non-injured leg of athletes returning to high-impact sports after lower extremity injury and the matched leg of healthy athletes. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Methods One hundred and sixty-nine athletes returning to high-impact sports after lower extremity injury and 169 matched healthy athletes executed five single-legged hop tests. Differences between athletes returning to high-impact sports after lower extremity injury and matched healthy athletes on five single-legged hop tests were analyzed using paired t-tests. Results There were no statistically significant differences between the non-injured leg of athletes returning to sport and the matched leg of healthy athletes. Effect sizes ranged from 0.05 to 0.14 indicating negligible effects. Conclusion Clinicians can use the non-injured leg as a reference for the injured leg in single-legged hop tests for deciding on return to high-impact sports after lower extremity injuries.