Graduation Date
Fall 2020
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Science degree with a major in Kinesiology, option Exercise Science
Committee Chair Name
Dr. Justus Ortega
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Dr. Amanda Hahn
Second Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Dr. Whitney Ogle
Third Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Fourth Committee Member Name
Dr. Taylor Bloedon
Fourth Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Subject Categories
Kinesiology
Abstract
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most commonly occurring knee injury. Compared to men in the same sports, females are two to eight times at higher risk for ACL injury. Research suggests that hormone fluctuations across the menstrual cycle (MC) play a crucial role in ACL injuries due to their effect on tendons and ligament's mechanical properties. PURPOSE: To examine knee joint laxity during dynamic movements across three-time points of the MC. METHODS: Seven young, healthy females with regular MCs performed three jump-landing tasks (double leg depth jump, single-leg lateral jump, and single-leg forward jump) across the early-follicular, ovulatory, and mid-luteal phases of the MC. Peak frontal and sagittal plane knee joint angles and moments were measured to assess joint stability during dynamic movements in each jump trial were analyzed. The researchers used an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the effects of the menstrual cycle's phases on joint mechanics during each jump task. RESULTS: No significant change occurred in knee joint frontal or sagittal plane angles or moments across MC time points. CONCLUSION: In support of finding from prior studies, the researchers did not observe any changes in knee joint mechanics across the menstrual cycle phases, suggesting that MC hormonal fluctuations do not affect the knee joint's mechanical properties tendons and ligaments enough to cause changes in joint laxity. Future research should examine the specific relationships between measured hormone levels and knee joint mechanics during dynamic movements across the MC phases to assess these relations more accurately.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Kilpatrick, Bethany, "Comparing knee joint mechanics across phases of the menstrual cycle" (2020). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 451.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/451
Included in
Biomechanics Commons, Exercise Science Commons, Motor Control Commons, Other Kinesiology Commons