What is meant by quadricep dominance and why may it place athletes at an increased risk of ACL injury?
The correct answer is:
The term quadricep dominance gets thrown around but rarely gets explained.
When decelerating or landing stress is placed upon the ACL as the tibia will want to translate anteriorly. The hamstrings can help prevent stress on the ACL by activating and resisting anterior tibial translation.
In someone who has suboptimal neuromuscular firing patterns the quadricep is more dominant than the hamstrings when landing/decelerating. These athletes not only lose some of the protective effects of hamstring contraction but may increase the stress on the ACL with increased quadriceps contraction.
In essence the hamstring is an ally of the ACL, and the quadriceps is an antagonist when decelerating/landing.
