Lead Limb Landing Mechanics Between Volleyball Tasks and Shoe Collar Heights

Abstract

Volleyball footwear may restrict ankle motion, altering knee mechanics during landing. Many players exhibit different
landing strategies when performing offensive and defensive maneuvers. We sought to determine the effects of footwear and volleyball task on lower extremity landing mechanics. It was hypothesized that posterior and vertical ground reaction forces, and ankle and knee joint landing kinematics and kinetics would be different between shoes and tasks. Seventeen volleyball players landed from a spiking and blocking task in a mid-cut and a low-top volleyball shoe. The peak anterior ground reaction force was greater in the mid-cut shoe in the spiking task (p = .003) and the low-top shoe in the blocking task (p = .006) compared to the low-top shoe in the spiking task. The peak lateral (p = .002) and the peak posterior (p = .005) ground reaction forces were greater in the spiking task. Sagittal plane ankle initial contact angles (p = .018) and peak dorsiflexion angles (p = .026) were smaller in the mid-cut. Smaller sagittal plane ankle initial contact angles (p = .015) and peak eversion angles (p = .008), and greater peak dorsiflexion angles (p = .031) and peak inversion angles (p = .027) were observed in the blocking task. Peak internal plantarflexion moment was greater in the low-top. Changes in ground reaction forces and ankle mechanics did not translate proximally to impact knee landing mechanics.