Effects of Fatigue on Lower Limb Biomechanics and Kinetic Stabilization During the Tuck-Jump Assessment

Context: General and local muscular fatigue is postulated to negatively alter lower limb biomechanics; however, few prospective studies have been done to examine the effect of fatigue on tuck-jump performance. The tuck-jump assessment (TJA) is a criteria-based visual screening tool designed to identify neuromuscular deficits associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Use of kinetics during the TJA after an intense sport-specific fatigue protocol may identify fatigue-induced neuromuscular deficits associated with ACL injury risk. Objective: To examine the effects of a sport-specific fatigue protocol on visually evidenced (2-dimensional) technical performance of repeated tuck jumps and lower limb kinetic stabilization. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twelve female netball athletes (age ¼ 20.8 6 2.6 years, height ¼ 170.0 6 0.04 cm, mass ¼ 67.5 6 7.4 kg). Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants performed 1 set of a TJA before and after a sport-specific fatigue protocol. Paired t tests and effect sizes were used to evaluate differences and the magnitude of differences in TJA scoring criterion, kinetics, and kinetic stabilization prefatigue to postfatigue. Results: A small increase was observed for vertical relative lower extremity stiffness postfatigue (P ¼ .005; Hedges g ¼ 0.45). Peak center-of-mass displacement, time of jump cycle, ground contact time, flight time, jump height, and vertical net impulse decreased with small to moderate effect sizes (P, .01; Hedges g range, 0.41–0.74). No differences were observed for TJA composite scores, peak vertical ground reaction force, and stabilization indices of kinetic variables after the fatigue protocol (P . .05). Conclusions: Kinetic analysis of repeated tuck jumps after a fatigue protocol identified an altered jumping strategy, which was not identifiable via visual 2-dimensional assessment. However, based on kinetic measures, fatigue induces a stiffer jumping strategy, and practitioners should consider assessing load attenuation strategies that may not be visually evident when evaluating ACL-injury risk factors in athletes who are fatigued.