| HOME | HELP | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
|
|
|
|||||||
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
|||||||||
From the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, McClure Musculoskeletal Research Center, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, and the Orthopaedic Group, Colorado Springs, Colorado
* Address correspondence to Bruce D. Beynnon, PhD, Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Stafford Hall, Room 438A, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0084 (e-mail: bruce.beynnon{at}uvm.edu).
Background: Female athletes suffer a higher incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries compared to their male counterparts, and they appear to be at increased risk for these injuries when they have increased anterior-posterior knee laxity and at specific phases of the menstrual cycle. Although the mechanism by which these factors combine to increase injury risk is unclear, studies suggest that cyclic variations in joint laxity produced by hormone fluctuation during the menstrual cycle predispose an athlete to increased risk of ligamentous injury. Little is known about whether joint laxity varies cyclically during the menstrual cycle and if so, whether it is modulated by cyclic variations of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4).
Hypothesis: Increased serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels are associated with increased ankle and knee joint laxity.
Study Design: Cohort study. Level of evidence, 2.
Methods: Ankle laxity, anterior-posterior knee laxity, and serum concentrations of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) were measured during the menstrual cycle in women and at corresponding time intervals in men (controls). Ankle laxity was measured from stress radiographs and included anterior talar translation relative to the tibia and talar tilt relative to the tibia; anterior-posterior knee laxity was measured with the KT-1000 arthrometer.
Results: Women had greater knee and ankle laxity values compared to men. There was, however, no change in knee and ankle laxity over the normal menstrual cycle in women and no change over time in men. There was no relationship between estradiol and progesterone fluctuation and ankle and knee joint laxity.
Conclusions: Knee and ankle joint laxities are greater for women compared to men; however, the cyclic estradiol and progesterone fluctuations that occur during the menstrual cycle do not produce cyclic fluctuations of joint laxity. Studies using joint laxity to identify a subject at risk for ligamentous injury need only consider making measurements at a specific point in time, such as during a preseason screening evaluation.
Key Words: knee • ankle • biomechanics
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. L. Bryant, R. A. Clark, S. Bartold, A. Murphy, K. L. Bennell, E. Hohmann, S. Marshall-Gradisnik, C. Payne, and K. M. Crossley Effects of estrogen on the mechanical behavior of the human Achilles tendon in vivo J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2008; 105(4): 1035 - 1043. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Liederbach, F. E. Dilgen, and D. J. Rose Incidence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries Among Elite Ballet and Modern Dancers: A 5-year Prospective Study Am. J. Sports Med., September 1, 2008; 36(9): 1779 - 1788. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Hansen, S. O. Koskinen, S. G. Petersen, S. Doessing, J. Frystyk, A. Flyvbjerg, E. Westh, S. P. Magnusson, M. Kjaer, and H. Langberg Ethinyl oestradiol administration in women suppresses synthesis of collagen in tendon in response to exercise J. Physiol., June 15, 2008; 586(12): 3005 - 3016. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. M. W. Chaudhari, T. N. Lindenfeld, T. P. Andriacchi, T. E. Hewett, J. Riccobene, G. D. Myer, and F. R. Noyes Knee and Hip Loading Patterns at Different Phases in the Menstrual Cycle: Implications for the Gender Difference in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Rates Am. J. Sports Med., May 1, 2007; 35(5): 793 - 800. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. E. Hewett, B. T. Zazulak, and G. D. Myer Effects of the Menstrual Cycle on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk: A Systematic Review Am. J. Sports Med., April 1, 2007; 35(4): 659 - 668. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. A. Wentorf, K. Sudoh, C. Moses, E. A. Arendt, and C. S. Carlson The Effects of Estrogen on Material and Mechanical Properties of the Intra- and Extra-articular Knee Structures Am. J. Sports Med., December 1, 2006; 34(12): 1948 - 1952. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Y. Griffin, M. J. Albohm, E. A. Arendt, R. Bahr, B. D. Beynnon, M. DeMaio, R. W. Dick, L. Engebretsen, W. E. Garrett Jr, J. A. Hannafin, et al. Understanding and Preventing Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: A Review of the Hunt Valley II Meeting, January 2005 Am. J. Sports Med., September 1, 2006; 34(9): 1512 - 1532. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. J. Warden, L. K. Saxon, A. B. Castillo, and C. H. Turner Knee ligament mechanical properties are not influenced by estrogen or its receptors Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, May 1, 2006; 290(5): E1034 - E1040. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
