Ground Force 360 Device Efficacy: Perception of Healthy Subjects

While local and regional exercise modes are essential to knee injury prevention, many athletic activities demand sudden directional change movements necessitating global or whole body training to optimize dynamic knee stability. Three-dimensional dynamic knee stability is essential during jump landings that challenge frontal plane knee alignment and control, create torsional loads, and have simultaneous upper extremity and trunk movements. The Ground Force 360 Device was designed to provide a weightbearing method for applying progressive three-dimensional (primarily frontal-transverse plane) loads in a low impact, functionally relevant manner. This study evaluated the perceptions of healthy subjects after approximately 4 weeks of device training. With end range descriptors of 0 = not likely or useful and 10 = very likely or useful, subjects rated device use likelihood as somewhat (mean ± standard deviation; 7.1 ± 2.1) and perceived usefulness specifically for football, soccer, basketball, or tennis training as very useful (8.2 ± 1.2). Separate analysis of subjects involved in competitive sports revealed greater perceived device use (7.9 ± 1.1) and usefulness (8.4 ± 0.7) scores. Subjects liked how the device trained “the hips” and improved directional change quickness. This device may provide a useful translational neuromuscular training mode to supplement conventional strength-power training, plyometrics, and sport performance.