Analysis of Mechanical Analog for Understanding ACL Injuries
AUG 27, 2025
JURPA 2025 Cover.
We present an experimental study of a mechanical system intended to approximate a situation in which an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury could occur during a collision between soccer players. To stand in for a collision force, increasing weight pulled on a “leg” analog system. Weight was added until one of two situations occurred: the soccer cleat came loose from the turf, corresponding to a slip, or a spring in the “knee” compressed past a given threshold, corresponding to an ACL injury. Data from these tests were analyzed using a simple statics model, and conclusions can be drawn about how parameters such as height, weight, cleat type, and collision force contribute to the likelihood of an ACL injury.
