Baker ML, et al. - An illustration was performed of the prevalence of knee injury due to participation in golf and the risk factors for the knee injury from a biomechanical perspective, based on the internal loading conditions and kinematics in the knee from the time of addressing the ball to the end of the follow-through. The paucity of consensus regarding knee loading during the golf swing and the related risks of injury were underscored here. The lead knee was subject to a higher magnitude of stress and more demanding motions than the trail knee. Hence, the return to golf following knee injury or surgical intervention ought to take into account the laterality of the injury.

Methods

• The design of this study was a systematic literature search.
• It ascertained the injury rate, kinematic patterns, loading, and muscle activity of the knee during golf.

Results

• A 3-18% knee injury prevalence was found among both professional and amateur players, with no clear dependence on skill level or sex.
• In contrast, the older players appeared to be at greater risk of injury.
• The lead knee was exposed to a complex series of motions involving rapid extension and large magnitudes of tibial internal rotation, conditions which possibly posed as risks to the structures of a natural knee or TKA.
• The loads experienced by the lead knee during a golf swing appeared to be inconsistently reported.
• Compressive loads ranging from 100 to 440% bodyweight were calculated and measured via techniques including inverse dynamics analysis and instrumented knee implants.
• The magnitude of loading was independent of the club used.