## 1 Introduction  
Basketball is a team sport that demands a high level of physical fitness to manage the intense physical effort required during the game [1, 2]. It is a physically demanding sport that involves constant changes in pace, direction, and speed, frequent jumps and landings, intense physical contact, and essential technical and tactical skills. Therefore, basketball athletes, and especially adolescents, are at high risk of injuries [3, 4]. Kneeinjuries, especially, are common among adolescent basketball athletes, with incidence rates ranging from 1.52 injuries per 10,000 athlete-exposures to a seasonal prevalence of 25.3% for anterior knee pain [5; 6; 7]. Dynamic knee valgus (DKV), characterized by the inward collapse of the knee during dynamic movements, has been widely associated with an increased risk of injury, particularly in sports, like basketball, that involve high-intensity activities, such as running, jumping, landing, and cutting [8; 9; 10; 11]. This abnormal knee motion is often observed during single-leg movements, such as a single-leg landing or a change of direction, and can contribute to the development of conditions such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and patellofemoral pain syndrome, especially in adolescent populations [3; 4; 12; 13; 14; 15]. The biomechanical mechanisms underlying DKV are complex and multifactorial, involving both neuromuscular control and structural alignment [11; 16]. However, an emerging body of evidence suggests that physical fitness or physical abilities may play a significant role in the manifestation of DKV during dynamic tasks that lead to sport injuries [16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21]. Identifying modifiable risk factors for sports-related knee injuries is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies [21; 22; 23; 24; 25]. The definition of physical fitness is a collection of characteristics that a person possesses or achieves that pertain to their capacity to carry out daily duties. Some of the major components of physical fitness are balance, agility, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, flexibility, muscle strength, muscle power, muscle endurance, reaction time, and speed [21; 26; 27]. Lower limb muscle power (LLMP), which refers to the ability of the muscles in the legs to produce force rapidly, has been implicated as a key determinant of knee stability during dynamic movements [20; 28; 29]. Research has shown that deficits in lower limb strength and power are associated with an increased risk of knee valgus [29; 30; 31]. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), a measure of the efficiency of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in supporting sustained physical activity, has also been shown to influence knee control in dynamic tasks [18; 20; 32]. While the link between aerobic fitness and knee valgus may not be as immediately apparent as that of muscle power, emerging evidence suggests that individuals with higher CRF tend to display improved neuromuscular control during dynamic tasks [21; 24; 33]. The relationship among lower limb LLMP, CRF, and DKV has important implications for injury prevention and rehabilitation programs. Previous studies have indicated that training programs focused on improving lower limb strength and muscle power, as well as aerobic fitness, can mitigate the risk of dynamic knee valgus by improving neuromuscular control and muscle coordination [21; 30; 34; 35]. Interventions that target these physical abilities may not only reduce the occurrence of knee valgus but also enhance overall athletic performance and reduce the risk of long-term musculoskeletal disorders. To further investigate how different physical fitness attributes correlate with DKV, a reanalysis of data previously published in the studies of [PERSON] (2024) and [PERSON] (2025) was performed [17; 32]. This approach allowed for a deeper examination of how multifactorial a movement such as DKV can be and provides new insights into the variables that should be trained to have a positive impact on the prevention of such injury-prone movements.