Clinical Utility of Qualitative Change of Direction Movement Assessment in ACL Injury Risk Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are complex, influenced by internal and external factors.
• Movement quality during sport-specific tasks, especially change of direction (COD), is a significant predictor of ACL injury.
• Sub-optimal COD mechanics like knee valgus and lateral trunk flexion are common ACL injury mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the necessity of integrating objective COD movement assessments for screening ACL injury risk.
• To highlight cost-effective, clinic-friendly tools for assessing COD movement quality.
• To discuss key considerations for evaluating COD movements in clinical and sports settings.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on ACL injury risk factors and movement quality.
• Identification and discussion of practical, objective tests for screening COD movement quality.
• Exploration of tools such as the Cutting Movement Assessment Score and The Expanded Cutting Alignment Tool.

Main Results:

• Formal, objective assessment of COD movement quality is underutilized in practice.
• Existing laboratory-based assessments are often impractical for everyday clinicians.
• Cost-effective, clinic-friendly tools can effectively screen COD movement quality.

Conclusions:

• Integrating COD movement assessments is essential for identifying athletes at risk of ACL injury.
• Practical screening tools can bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical application.
• Objective assessment of movement quality during COD is vital for informed return-to-sport decisions.