Tracking Quantitative Characteristics of Cutting Maneuvers with Wearable Movement Sensors during Competitive Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Games

(1) Ultimate frisbee involves frequent cutting motions, which have a high risk of ACL injury, especially for female players. This study investigated the in-game cutting maneuvers performed by female ultimate frisbee athletes to understand the movements that could put them at risk of ACL injury. (2) Lower-body kinematics and movement around the field were reconstructed from wearable lower-body inertial sensors worn by 12 female players during 16 league-sanctioned ultimate frisbee games. (3) 422 cuts were identified from speed and direction change criteria. The mean cut had approach speed of 3.4 m/s, approach acceleration of 3.1 m/s2, cut angle of 94 degrees, and ground-contact knee flexion of 34 degrees. Shallow cuts from 30 to 90 degrees were most common. Speed and acceleration did not change based on cut angle. Players on more competitive teams had higher speed and acceleration and reduced knee flexion during cutting. (4) This study demonstrates that a lower-body set of wearable inertial sensors can successfully track an athlete’s motion during real games, producing detailed biomechanical metrics of behavior and performance. These in-game measurements can be used to specify controlled cutting movements in future laboratory studies. These studies should prioritize higher-level players since they may exhibit higher-risk cutting behavior.

(1) 极限飞盘（Ultimate Frisbee）运动中存在频繁的切入变向动作，此类动作具有较高的前交叉韧带（Anterior Cruciate Ligament, ACL）损伤风险，对于女性运动员而言尤为突出。本研究针对女子极限飞盘运动员在正式比赛中的切入动作开展调研，旨在明确可能使其面临ACL损伤风险的运动模式。
(2) 研究基于12名女子极限飞盘运动员在16场联赛官方认证赛事中穿戴的下肢可穿戴惯性传感器数据，重建了其下肢运动学特征与全场移动轨迹。
(3) 研究人员依据速度与方向变化判定标准，共识别出422次切入动作。单次切入的平均参数为：趋近速度3.4 m/s、趋近加速度3.1 m/s²、切入角度94°、着地时膝关节屈曲度34°。其中，切入角度介于30°至90°的浅切入动作最为常见。切入角度未对趋近速度与加速度产生显著影响。隶属于竞技层级更高队伍的运动员，其切入时的趋近速度与加速度更高，且膝关节屈曲度更低。
(4) 本研究证实，下肢可穿戴惯性传感器可在真实比赛场景中有效追踪运动员的运动状态，获取详尽的行为与表现生物力学参数。此类赛事内测量数据可用于明确未来实验室研究中需标准化控制的切入动作变量。鉴于高水平运动员可能展现出更高风险的切入行为，后续研究应优先关注该群体。