Do rotasole® shoes reduce knee joint loading?

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is common in sport and, as reconstructive surgery is often the only viable treatment, ACL rupture may end promising sporting careers. It has been estimated that 66–78% of ACL injuries occur via non-contact mechanisms (Arendt Citation1995), typically during rapid deceleration, quick changes in direction and/or abrupt landings. In an effort to reduce these injuries Rotasole® has developed a shoe that incorporates an outer sole with a rotating disc placed under the forefoot. The disc is designed to allow a player’s foot to rotate 30° in either direction when in contact with the ground. The aim of this rotation is to reduce the twisting strains placed on the player’s body, particularly the knee, in situations when the athlete’s foot would typically be restricted by the shoe gripping the ground when the athlete changes direction during sporting activities. However, no published study has systematically investigated whether the Rotasole® shoes achieve this aim. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether wearing Rotasole® shoes reduced ankle and knee joint loading during unanticipated side-step cutting movements.