The Effect of Arm Dominance on Knee Joint Biomechanics during Basketball Block Shot Single-Leg Landing

Abstract

Single arm blocking is a key component of successful basketball defence. The player uses either their dominant or non-dominant arm to block the ball landing on a common leg. Understanding how the bio-physical loads of the landing leg change as a function of the blocking arm will provide insights into potential injury risk of the lower limb. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of arm dominance on the biomechanical variables of injury risk of the lower limb, specifically the knee joint during the single-leg landing in female basketball players. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected from fourteen female basketball athletes (20.85 ± 1.35 years, 1.69 ± 0.06 m, 60.37 ± 7.75 kg), each performing three trials of a dominant arm and non-dominant block jump landing on the dominant leg. The results showed significantly higher anterior and medial ground reaction force, knee joint flexion and abduction and lateral knee force during the dominant arm landing (p < 0.05). These findings highlight potential injury risk and the need for the player to be more proficient at dominant arm block-shot landing. The player should aim to develop a larger landscape of technique to meet the demands of the game and facilitate a more effective and safer landing strategy.