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Updated: May 8, 2026
Biomechanical Analysis Methods to Assess Professional Badminton Players' Lunge Performance
Published on: June 11, 2019
Young men utilise limited neuromuscular preparation to regulate post-impact knee mechanics during step landing
Corey J Scholes1, Michael D McDonald, Anthony W Parker
1Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Sydney Orthopaedic Research Institute, Chatswood, NSW, Australia.
Purpose:
The neuromuscular mechanisms determining the mechanical behaviour of the knee during landing impact remain poorly understood. It was hypothesised that neuromuscular preparation is subject-specific and ranges along a continuum from passive to active.
Methods:
A group of healthy men (N=12) stepped-down from a knee-high platform for 60 consecutive trials. Surface EMG of the quadriceps and hamstrings was used to determine pre-impact onset timing, activation amplitude and cocontraction for each trial. Partial least squares regression was used to associate pre-impact preparation with post-impact knee stiffness and coordination.
Results:
The group analysis revealed few significant changes in pre-impact preparation across trial blocks. Single-subject analyses revealed changes in muscle activity that varied in size and direction between individuals. Further, the association between pre-impact preparation and post-impact knee mechanics was subject-specific and ranged along a continuum of strategies.
Conclusion:
The findings suggest that neuromuscular preparation during step landing is subject-specific and its association to post-impact knee mechanics occurs along a continuum, ranging from passive to active control strategies. Further work should examine the implications of these strategies on the distribution of knee forces in vivo.
