Honors College Thesis

 

Digit Span Ratio, Joint Laxity, and Muscular Strength as Predisposing Factors for Female ACL Injuries Public Deposited

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/6108vd251

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  • Females more commonly injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in athletics than do males. Despite many studies researching anatomical, neuromuscular, and hormonal causes, the predisposing risk factors behind this occurrence are currently unknown. This study compared 5 females who had injured their ACL to 15 healthy females concentrating on three dependent variables. The first variable measured was digit span ratio of the second and fourth digits because previous studies suggest that this ratio is related to prenatal sex hormones that affect visual-spatial abilities. The next variable was knee joint laxity using an arthrometer to measure the stiffness of the ACL. The last variable tested was the muscular strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings using the Biodex dynamometer. The strength of these muscle groups is suggested in the literature to be a risk factor for ACL injuries because they protect the knee joint. After analysis, the three variables were not shown to be significantly different between the two female populations. Further research is needed to determine what factors predispose females to ACL injuries. Knowing these factors may allow for prediction of group membership for females who have torn their ACL and for females who have not.
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