Loading Patterns During Landing Tasks in Active-Duty Special Operations Forces Personnel

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Military Health

Background:

• Musculoskeletal injuries are prevalent in the military, particularly affecting the knee joint during jumping and landing activities.
• Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel face elevated risks of musculoskeletal injury due to demanding occupational tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze loading patterns and landing strategies in SOF personnel during various landing exercises.
• To investigate the relationship between knee strength, landing knee mechanics, and shock attenuation capabilities.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 224 uninjured male SOF personnel.
• Biomechanical analysis of double-legged drop landings (DLDL) and single-legged drop landings (SLDL).
• Isokinetic strength testing of quadriceps and hamstring muscles, measuring knee-extension strength (KES) and knee-flexion strength.

Main Results:

• Participants showed greater KES and landed with higher forces on their dominant limb during DLDL.
• No significant asymmetries were found in knee kinematics between limbs.
• Correlations were observed between knee and ankle kinematics and peak vertical ground reaction forces (VGRFs) during DLDL and nondominant SLDL.

Conclusions:

• While knee mechanics are crucial for shock attenuation, factors other than muscular strength likely govern knee mechanics during landing in SOF personnel.
• The findings suggest a complex interplay of factors influencing landing mechanics and injury risk in this high-demand population.