The Biomechanical Study of Half-Squat Parachute Landing and Injuries Prevention

Parachuting landing was a necessary activity in military with injuries. Half-squat parachuting landing was commonly applied in China. Few quantitative investigations were reported about biomechanics and injuries evaluation of halfsquat parachuting landing. In this chapter, a half-squat parachuting landing experiment was designed with recruited participants. The participants jumped and landed from 40 cm, 80 cm and 120 cm heights respectively. Kinematic and kinetic parameters of lower-extremity joints were compared between half-squat parachuting landing and normal landing in basketball sport. These parameters were compared in the half-squat parachuting landing with and without horizontal wind. It was found that the motion range of lower-extremity joints was less in the half-squat parachuting landing than that in the normal landing. The ground reaction force was larger in the half-squat parachuting landing than that in the normal landing. The ground reaction force in the half-squat parachuting landing with the horizontal wind was less than that without the horizontal wind. It was concluded that the center of plantar pressure should be on forefoot to decrease injuries in the half-squat parachuting landing.