THE KINEMATICS OF OVERGROUND SPRINTING IN TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES WITH PREVIOUS HAMSTRING INJURIES

The purpose of this study was to examine the kinematic characteristics of lower extremity and long head of the biceps femoris (BFlh) muscle length during overground sprinting in track and field athletes with previous unilateral hamstring strain injuries. Ten male college sprinters with a history of hamstring injury performed a maximum effort sprint on an athletic track. Three-dimensional kinematic data were recorded during sprinting, and the hip and knee joint angles and musculotendon length of the biceps femoris muscle were calculated. The previously injured limb displayed delayed peak hip flexion and increased knee flexion compared with the uninjured limb, placing the BFlh muscle at decreased length during the terminal swing phase of sprinting