An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is the most common injury suffered by alpine ski racers, and there is a high prevalence of ACL re-injury (Flarenes, Bere, Nordsletten, Heir, & Bahr, 2009; Pujol, Blanchi, & Chambat, 2007). After an ACL injury, it is important to restore neuromuscular function and ensure athletes are fit to return to high-risk activity (Myer, Paterno, Ford, Quatman, & Hewett, 2006). Restoring neuromuscular function is critical as neuromuscular asymmetries are predictive of ACL re-injury (Paterno et al., 2010). Despite the evidence supporting the use of objectively determined neuromuscular assessments to evaluate ACL reconstructed (ACLR) athletes prior to their return to sport, practitioners may be prone to relying solely on time-based or subjectively determined criteria (Barber-Westin & Noyes, 2011). Currently, there are no scientifically accepted return-to-sport neuromuscular assessment protocols for ACLR alpine ski racers. Further, while sport specificity is deemed to be of high importance for effective injury prevention (van Mechelen, Hlobil, & Kemper, 1992), only a single study has explored potential sport-specific ACL injury risk factors in competitive alpine ski racers (Raschneret al., 2012). Injury-prevention research efforts in alpine ski racing have focused on modifying factors external to the athlete (e.g., equipment, course setting) (Haaland, Steenstrup, Bere, Bahr, & Nordsletten, 2016), and there seems to be a paucity of studies that have employed exercise-based approaches for injury prevention in winter alpine sport athletes at large (H6bert-Losier & Holmberg, 2013). The primary aim of the series of papers presented in this article is to evaluate the effects of ACL injury on neuromuscular function in competitive alpine ski racers. A secondary aim is to provide a foundation and potential directions for future research focused on evidence-based neuromuscular testing for ACL injury and re-injury prevention in alpine ski racers, and exercise-based injury and re-injury prevention training programs.
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