Evaluation of a Novel ACL Injury Prevention Technique: Can Martial Arts Fall Training (Break-Falling and Rolling) Alter the Lower Extremity At-Risk Biomechanics in Soccer Athletes?

Conor Kasabo, MD¹ ; Blake Acquarulo, MPH² ; Anya Kamaraju² ; Aaron Marcel² ; Richard Feinn, PhD, MS² ; Karen M. Myrick, DNP, FNP-BC, ONP-C, FAA²^{, 3}

1Walter Reed Hospital, Bethesda, MD
2Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT
3University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT

Correspondence to: Karen M. Myrick ( kmyrick@usj.edu)

Abstract

Introduction:

ACL injuries have remained prevalent despite injury prevention interventions. We propose approaching injury prevention from a novel angle by implementing martial arts falling techniques such as break-falling and rolling.

Methods:

Four athletes (ages 9 to 17, both sexes) from a premier soccer team were recruited to participate in this pilot study. All subjects continued their usual training and partook in twice weekly interventional training of martial arts fall training for ten weeks, taught by a 5th degree black belt master in karate and aikido. Baseline and post-intervention proprioceptive testing was performed in the Quinnipiac Biomechanics Laboratory using the Neurocom Balance Master system. A mixed factorial ANOVA model was used to determine the effects of intervention training on the proprioceptive variables of interest.

Results:

There was a significant decrease in the mean impact index for the right lower extremity, which measures the control of impact force descending onto the swing leg during the “Step Up and Over” test. Additionally, increases were noted for mean equilibrium in five of six testing conditions.

Conclusions:

The results of the mean impact index test highlight the efficacy of martial arts fall training in the dominant lower extremity. The trend of improvement in the dominant leg in a variety of proprioceptive metrics suggests that the intervention reinforced the more honed neural pathways of the dominant side quicker than that of the non-dominant. Finally, the overall increase seen in mean equilibrium is promising for a pilot study with such a short intervention period.

Keywords:

ACL injury, martial arts fall training, karate, aikido, biomechanics, injury prevention

Acknowledgments

Kyoshi Darin Reisler and Sensei Michael Golden, Plus One Defense Systems, West Hartford, CT

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