Effects of compression legwear on knee biomechanics and inter-joint coordination during depth jumps: a randomized cross-over study

This study aimed to investigate the impact of different types of compression legwear on knee biomechanics, and lower limb inter-joint coordination during depth jumps. Twelve healthy male participants were randomly assigned to wear compression shorts (CS), compression tights (CT), and sports shorts (control: CC). The participants perform depth jumps from a platform of 40 cm in height, thus landing on their dominant side (DS) and non-dominant side (NS). The lower limbs kinematics and kinetics are simultaneously recorded by using a motion capture system and force plates. During initial contact phase, the CT group shows larger peak knee flexion angles (PI = 0.033) and sagittal knee range of motion (ROM) (PIII = 0.010) but smaller horizontal ROM of the knee (PIII = 0.016) than the CC group. During stabilization phase, the CS group exhibits significantly higher peak knee flexion (PII = 0.025) and sagittal knee ROM (PII = 0.001). While the peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) is not obtained by the type of legwear (P > 0.05), significant phase- and direction-specific differences emerge in the knee moments, with the CS group showing larger extension moments in landings on the DS (PI < 0.001, PII = 0.005) but smaller abduction moments than the CC/CT in landings on the NS (PII = 0.004). An inter-joint coordination analysis indicates that the CT group has the highest knee-ankle (P < 0.001) and knee-hip coordination (P < 0.001) during landing on the NS, whereas the CC group shows excellent knee-hip coordination on the DS (P < 0.001). Compression legwear exerts pressure on the lower limbs during various phases of jumping, thereby altering the biomechanical characteristics of the knee joint and the synergistic mechanisms of the lower limbs. CT improve knee-ankle coordination and mediolateral stability, while CS enhance sagittal-plane control during bilateral landings.