Limited positive effects on jump-landing technique in girls but not in boys after 8 weeks of injury prevention exercise training in youth football

To evaluate changes in jump-landing technique in football-playing boys and girls after 8 weeks of injury prevention training.

Four boys’ and four girls’ teams (mean age 14.1 ± 0.8 years) were instructed to use either the original Knee Control injury prevention exercise programme (IPEP) or a further developed IPEP, Knee Control + , at every training session for 8 weeks. Baseline and follow-up testing of jump-landing technique included drop vertical jumps (DVJ), assessed subjectively and with two-dimensional movement analysis, and tuck jump assessment (TJA).

Only minor differences in intervention effects were seen between the two IPEPs, and results are therefore presented for both intervention groups combined. At baseline 30% of the boys showed good knee control during the DVJ, normalised knee separation distances of 77–96% (versus hip) and a median of 3 flaws during the TJA. Among girls, 22% showed good knee control, normalised knee separation distances of 67–86% and a median of 4 flaws during the TJA. At follow-up, boys and girls performed significantly more jumps during TJA. No changes in jump-landing technique were seen in boys, whereas girls improved their knee flexion angle at initial contact in the DVJ (mean change + 4.7°, p < 0.001, 95% CI 2.36–6.99, d = 0.7) and their TJA total score (− 1 point, p = 0.045, r = − 0.4).

The study showed small positive effects on jump-landing technique in girls, but not in boys, after 8 weeks of injury prevention training.

Level II.

Clinical Trials gov identifier: NCT03251404