Longitudinal assessments of balance and jump-landing performance before and after anterior cruciate ligament injuries in collegiate athletes

The purpose was to quantify the effect of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on balance and jump-landing performance and bilateral asymmetries. Among 500 collegiate athletes who performed a reaching test and a double-leg counter-movement jump-landing test at baseline, 8 male and 6 female athletes suffered ACL injuries. In the follow-up, they performed the reaching test 3 and 6 months after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) and the jump-landing test 6 months after ACLR. Less reaching distances for the injured leg and increased reaching distance asymmetries were observed 3 and 6 months after ACLR compared to baseline. Less peak jumping and landing forces for the injured leg and increased jumping and landing force asymmetries were found 6 months after ACLR compared to baseline. The decreased performance of the injured leg and increased asymmetries may contribute to the high ACL re-injury rates. Baseline assessments would be useful for establishing an individual's pre-injury performance.