Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Kinesiology

Major Professor

Joshua T. Weinhandl

Committee Members

Joshua T. Weinhandl, Jared M. Porter, Louis Rocconi

Abstract

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are prevalent in sports, particularly among female athletes, and are often associated with non-contact mechanisms such as rapid directional changes and poor neuromuscular control. Traditional injury prevention and rehabilitation programs focus primarily on neuromuscular training; however, emerging evidence suggests that neurocognitive challenges play a critical role in injury risk and recovery. This study examines the impact of increasing neurocognitive task complexity on knee biomechanics during a run-to-cut maneuver, with specific attention to lower limb kinetics and kinematics. Using the Flanker Task to introduce varying cognitive loads, this research evaluates changes in knee abduction angles, knee abduction moments, and center of mass displacement in response to visual stimuli. The study aims to determine whether increased cognitive demands exacerbate biomechanical risk factors for ACL injury and to assess differences in movement patterns between dominant and non-dominant limbs. Findings from this research will contribute to the development of comprehensive injury prevention and rehabilitation programs that integrate neurocognitive training with traditional neuromuscular control exercises, ultimately enhancing athlete safety and performance.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Included in

Biomechanics Commons

Share

COinS