The effects of taekwondo shoes on anterior cruciate ligament injury risk factors during jump whip kicks

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of taekwondo shoes on anterior cruciate ligament injury risk factors in taekwondo athletes performing jump whip kicks. Equipment and methods: The participants comprised 10 taekwondo athletes with no history of anterior cruciate ligament or lower extremity injuries within the past 12 months. The maximum hip flexion angle, maximum knee valgus angle, maximum knee extension moment, maximum knee lateral rotation moment, and quadriceps and hamstring muscle activity ratios were analyzed using video, ground reaction force, and electromyography analysis systems. Results: The maximum knee valgus angle was significantly lower when wearing taekwondo shoes while performing taekwondo jump whip kicks (p = 0.04), and the activity ratio of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles was low (p = 0.10). Conclusion: Wearing taekwondo shoes had a positive effect on preventing anterior cruciate ligament injury; therefore, the importance of wearing taekwondo shoes should be communicated clearly to athletes and coaches to increase their frequency of use and change negative perceptions regarding taekwondo shoe use during training. Taekwondo competition movements can cause damage to the anterior cruciate ligament owing to sudden changes in direction and jump movements. Our results suggest that wearing taekwondo shoes can help prevent anterior cruciate ligament injuries. © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS