Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
A Novel Application of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging
Published on: September 17, 2013
Altered landing strategy during vertical jump tasks in elite volleyball players with patellar tendinopathy
Benjamin Ben Zaki1, Marc Julia1, Gauthier Desmyttere2
1CHU Montpellier CARTIGEN, Montpellier, France; EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France.
Objective:
To describe the biomechanical strategies during the landing phase of vertical jumps in volleyball players with or without patellar tendinopathy.
Design:
Cross-sectional observational study.
Setting:
Field-based study.
Participants:
Twenty-three elite volleyball players, 9 of whom where symptomatic for patellar tendinopathy (PT; Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella (VISA-P) score ≤80).
Main Outcome Measures:
Participants performed 4 types of vertical jumps: squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump without/with hands (CMJNH/CMJWH), and drop jump (DJ). Landing biomechanics were recorded using inertial measurement units and force platforms.
Results:
The PT group exhibited greater maximal knee flexion angles during CMJNH and DJ (p = 0.02 and p = 0.02; Hedges' g = -0.92 and -1.01, respectively), along with increased knee sagittal plane range of motion across CMJNH, CMJWH, and DJ (p = 0.007, p = 0.04, and p = 0.05; Hedges' g = -1.16, -0.85, and -0.88, respectively). Additionally, the PT group demonstrated higher rates of velocity decrease during CMJWH and DJ (p = 0.015 and p = 0.005; Hedges' g = -0.97 and -1.17, respectively).
Conclusions:
This study highlighted key knee joint kinematics differences in PT athletes during jump landing. Future applications may include early detection of the pathology, before functional impairments develop.
