Abstract
This study aimed to elucidate the effect of differences in the definition of the thigh segment on knee joint varus/valgus angles during landing. The study involved 25 healthy female university students and analyzed single-leg side drop landing from a 30-cm high platform. The knee joint varus/valgus angle was calculated using two distinct thigh segments: the Plug-in Gait (PiG) model and transepicondylar axis (TEA, which employed markers attached to the medial and lateral epicondyles of the femur). Subsequently, two-dimensional (frontal plane) and three-dimensional angular changes were compared. Although two-dimensional angles exhibited similar changes between the different thigh segments, three-dimensional angles did not show similar changes in PiG and TEA, and the knee joint varus/valgus angle output differed. These .ndings suggest that the knee joint varus/valgus angle output varies with the de.nition of the thigh segment, and it is likely that crosstalk associated with knee joint .exion occurs when using the PiG model.
