Knee kinetics and kinematics of experienced skiers with and without ACL reconstruction performing landings in walking boots

Alpine skiing is a popular but dangerous sport; one in three elite skiers participating in a professional ski World Cup season losing training and competition time due to injury (Bere et al., Citation2011). Severe knee injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, are among the most frequent injuries for elite and experienced skiers. A primary mechanism of ACL injury occurs while landing from a bump or a jump with a skier’s centre of mass (COM) shifted posteriorly. In an attempt to ‘recover’, the top of the boot causes an anterior draw of the tibia and places high strain on the ACL (Bere et al., Citation2011). Injury risk is heightened at the end of a race when fatigue is present (Read & Herzog, Citation1992). More research is warranted to understand how landing mechanics in skiers change when restricting the ankle’s range of motion (ROM) while wearing a walking boot, similar to a ski boot.