Lower limb landing mechanics of scissor-kick jumps in elite badminton players

Abstract

Scissor-kick jumps are frequently employed by elite badminton players when performing forehand jump strokes from the rear court forehand side. The joint loads experienced during the landing phase may contribute to the high number of lower limb injuries, yet our understanding of these loads is limited. This exploratory study comprehensively evaluates the lower limb joint mechanics during scissor-kick jump landings in elite male badminton players. Ten Danish national male players performed three variations of the scissor-kick jump in a biomechanical laboratory: submaximal jumps from a static position, maximal jumps from a static position, and jumps with game-like backward chassé steps. We recorded the landing 3-dimensional joint kinematics and kinetics of the racket-leg using a 10-camera motion capture system and a force platform. Our analysis using statistical parametric mapping one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant differences in the hip, knee, and ankle joint angles, moments, and power waveforms during the landing phase across the three jump variations. Indicating that elite male badminton players landing mechanics are not altered by increased jump height or the inclusion of preceding game-like footwork. We observed that the triceps surae muscles absorb 41% of the total eccentric joint work during the landing phase, indicating their crucial role in managing landing impacts. Additionally, the initial landing phase is characterized by high external knee and hip extensor and adductor moments. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating exercises targeting the triceps surae muscles and Achilles tendons in badminton-specific training programs to prepare players for the high eccentric loads during scissor-kick jump landings. The high hip, knee and ankle joint loads identified in this study may contribute to the high incidence of lower limb injuries in elite badminton.