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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sports Med Int Open 2025; 09: a24172488
DOI: 10.1055/a-2417-2488
Training & Testing

Functional Knee Stability in Elite Field Hockey Depends on Playing Class and Gender

Lucie Hiepen
1   Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstruc- tion Surgery, St Marien-Hospital Mülheim an der Ruhr, Mülheim, Germany
2   Sektion für Neonatologie und Pädiatrische Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
,
Niklas Bosserhoff
3   Department of Trauma Surgery, Orthopedics and Sport Orthopedics, Asklepios Klinik Sankt Georg, Hamburg, Germany
,
Florian Schaudig
1   Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstruc- tion Surgery, St Marien-Hospital Mülheim an der Ruhr, Mülheim, Germany
,
Falko Heitzer
1   Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstruc- tion Surgery, St Marien-Hospital Mülheim an der Ruhr, Mülheim, Germany
4   Chair of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, University of Duisburg-Essen Faculty of Medicine, Essen, Germany
,
Marcus Jäger
1   Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstruc- tion Surgery, St Marien-Hospital Mülheim an der Ruhr, Mülheim, Germany
4   Chair of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, University of Duisburg-Essen Faculty of Medicine, Essen, Germany
,
Constantin Mayer
1   Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstruc- tion Surgery, St Marien-Hospital Mülheim an der Ruhr, Mülheim, Germany
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Abstract

Field hockey, a physically demanding Olympic sport, carries a high risk of lower limb injuries, yet data on injury risk in elite field hockey are limited. Functional knee stability is important for injury prevention and a safe return to sport. This study is the first to investigate functional knee stability in elite field hockey, considering gender and playing class, and establishes reference data for functional knee stability by using a standardized test battery that assesses one- and two-legged stability, jumping tests, speed, and agility. Seventy-two elite field hockey players, 30 males and 42 females (age 19.82±3.74 years) were divided into High Playing Class (HPC) and Moderate Playing Class (MPC). HPC players showed significantly better performance in all functional tests except balance tests (p<0.01–0.024). Females showed significantly better one- and two-leg stability (p<0.01) with lower injury rates, indicating the relevance of gender considerations. The study emphasizes the importance of balance and stability in the prevention of lower limb injuries in Olympic field hockey and also highlights the importance of considering pre-existing deficits in functional knee capability when assessing athletes for return to sport. These results can help improve athletic performance, identify individual strengths and weaknesses, prevent injury or re-injury, and facilitate return to sport after injury.

Keywords

knee function - functional test battery - return to sport criteria - field hockey - reference data


Publication History

Received: 10 January 2024

Accepted after revision: 26 July 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
23 October 2024

Article published online:
13 February 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

Bibliographical Record
Lucie Hiepen, Niklas Bosserhoff, Florian Schaudig, Falko Heitzer, Marcus Jäger, Constantin Mayer. Functional Knee Stability in Elite Field Hockey Depends on Playing Class and Gender. Sports Med Int Open 2025; 09: a24172488.
DOI: 10.1055/a-2417-2488
 

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