ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate sports injuries around the knee joint during long jump attempt.

A total of 68 patients admitted to emergency service due to knee injury during long jump attempt were retrospectively investigated between January 2005 and January 2012. All cases were evaluated in terms of isolated or combined injuries of the knee and surrounding structures, long jump distance, injury side, demographic data and radiological findings. All injuries were classified into three groups according to the number of damaged anatomical structures. Study data were statistically evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test. Significance was evaluated at p<0.01 and p<0.05.

All patients were male, and the age range was 23.25±2.82 years. The incidence of the left-side injury was 63.2%. Effusion was the common radiological finding. The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries was the highest (66.2%), followed by that of the medial meniscus (63.3%), medial collateral ligament (25%), lateral meniscus (22.1%), lateral collateral ligament (11.8%), extensor mechanism (10.3%), and posterior cruciate ligament injuries (4.4%). The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament injuries of the right side was significantly higher than that of the left side (p=0.016; p=0.014). No significant association was found between the long jump distance and injuries (p=0.076).

All structures of the knee joint, particularly the anterior cruciate ligament, medial meniscus, and medial collateral ligament, appeared to be at high risk of injury during long jump attempt.

Keywords: Long jump, anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus, sports injury