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CC BY 4.0 · Rev Bras Ortop (Sao Paulo) 2024; 59(01): e29-e37
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1771007
Artigo Original
Artroscopia e Trauma Esportivo

Knee Laxities Changes with Sex-steroids throughout the Menstrual Cycle Phases in Athlete and Non-athlete Females

Article in several languages: português | English
Firouzeh Dehghan 
1   Departamento de Ciências do Esporte, Campus Internacional de Kish, Universidade de Teerã, Ilha de Kish, Irã
,
Rahman Soori
2   Departamento de Fisiologia do Exercício, Faculdade de Ciências do Esporte e Saúde, Universidade de Teerã, Teerã, Irã
,
Ashril Yusof
3   Departamento de Ciência do Exercício, Centro Esportivo, Universidade da Malásia, Kuala Lumpur, Malásia
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Financial Support The authors declare that they have received no financial support from public, commercial, or non-profit sources.
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Abstract

Objective: Our study investigated changes of knee laxities in athletes and non-athletes females and relationship between knee laxity and sex-steroid at menstrual cycle phases.

Methods: Forty six healthy females, twenty four athletes and twenty two non-athletes not on hormone contraceptive pills, had no previous knee injuries and with regular menstrual cycles for 3 consecutive months, participated in the study. Medial and lateral knee laxities were determined by varus-valgus tests at follicular, ovulatory and luteal phases. Serum level of relaxin, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone were determined by ELISA and radioimmunoassay.

Results: Knee laxities in athletes and non-athletes at 0° and 20° flexion were the highest in luteal phase with non-athletes possess greater laxity than athletes. Positive correlation between progesterone and relaxin levels with knee laxities were observed. Meanwhile, the levels of both hormones were highest in the luteal phase.

Conclusion: Increased medial and lateral knee laxities in athletes and non-athletes associated with high serum progesterone and relaxin levels in luteal phase may contribute toward increased risk of non-contact knee injury. However, lower knee laxity in athletes than non-athletes suggest that exercise could be a protective factor.

Keywords

knee joint - menstrual cycle - hormone, sex steroid - relaxin - athletes

* Work developed at the University of Tehran, Kish Island, Iran.




Publication History

Received: 09 December 2022

Accepted: 07 February 2023

Article published online:
21 March 2024

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