HOW TO CONTROL ANKLE JOINT IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS OF ONE LEG JUMP-LANDING: FRONTAL PLANE MOMENT AND EMG STUDY

The variation of jump-landing directions would challenge muscular control around ankle joint. The purposes of this study were to assess the frontal plane moment of ankle and EMG of tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL), and medial head of gastrocnemius (GAS) muscles. Eighteen male athletes participated in the study. Subjects performed the one leg jump-landing test from a 30 cm height platform in four directions; forward (0°), 30° diagonal, 60° diagonal, and lateral (90°) directions. The finding exhibited that peak evertor moment significantly increased from forward to lateral direction. The need for increased muscle activity of PL was highlighted. The landing needed more co-contraction between TA and PL for maintaining balance. It seems that the awareness around ankle during jump-landing in diagonal and lateral direction should be more focused comparing to forward direction

An exploration of the differences in hip strength, gluteus medius activity, and trunk, pelvis, and lower-limb biomechanics during different functional tasks

The purpose of the study was to explore differences in the coronal biomechanics of the trunk, pelvis, hip, and knee joints, and gluteus medius muscle activity (GMed) during walking and step down from two riser heights. Joint kinematics and kinetics from 20 healthy participants were recorded using a 10-camera Qualisys system and force plates, and GMed EMG was recorded using a Delsys Trigno system. Hip abductor strength was measured using a hand-held dynamometer. Pelvic obliquity and lateral trunk bending excursions were significantly higher in walking than in step-down tasks. Significantly greater knee adduction moments were seen during both step-down tasks compared to level walking with significantly greater GMed activity. However, a significant interaction between side and task was seen for hip adduction moment, with step-down tasks showing lower hip moments than during walking, with greater peak hip moments being more apparent in the dominant limb. This suggests the GMed has a greater stabilizing role during the step-down tasks, although walking required a greater mechanical demand. Health professionals should expect to find less excursion of lateral trunk bending in step-down tasks compared to level walking and consider that GMed has different roles in these two tasks

LOWER EXTREMITY FLEXION ANGLES AND VERTICAL GROUND REACTION FORCE DURING LANDING IN MULTIDIRECTIONS: A PILOT STUDY IN FEMALE ATHLETES

Single-leg jump landing is a complex task. This study investigated lower extremity motion and vertical ground reaction force (GRF) during jump landing between dominant (DL) and non-dominant (NDL) limbs. Five female athletes performed the single leg jump-landing test from a 30 cm height platform in four directions; forward (0°), 30° diagonal, 60° diagonal, and lateral (90°) directions. The findings showed that jump-landing direction significantly influenced hip and knee flexion angles at initial contact phase, hip flexion and ankle dorsiflexion angles, at peak vertical GRF phase, and the peak value of vertical GRF. Female athletes exhibited a trend of using an ankle strategy in multidirections of landing that is similar to stiff landing. An increase of hip and knee flexion should be suggested during landing to increase a soft landing

Comparison of Hip and Knee Biomechanics during Sidestep Cutting in Male Basketball Athletes with and without Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

This study aimed to compare hip and knee biomechanics during sidestep cutting on the operated and non-operated sides in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), and in an uninjured control group. Twenty male basketball athletes, 10 individuals with ACLR and 10 controls, were recruited. Hip and knee joint angles and angular velocities were investigated with a three-dimensional motion analysis system, and ground reaction forces (GRF) along with moments were collected during the deceleration phase of the stance limb during sidestep cutting maneuvers. We found significantly higher peak hip flexion, hip internal rotation angular velocities, and peak thigh angular velocity in the sagittal plane in the ACLR group. In addition, the peak vertical GRF and peak posterior GRF of the ACLR group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Univariate analyses indicated that the posterior GRF of the non-operated side was significantly higher than in the matched operated side in the control group. The operated and non-operated sides in male basketball athletes with ACLR showed alterations in hip and knee biomechanics compared with a control group, especially in the sagittal plane. Therefore, the emphasis of neuromuscular control training for the hip and the knee in basketball players with ACLR is required

Ankle biomechanics during multi-directional landings in athletes with chronic ankle instability

Background Assessing and understanding the control of the ankle during multi-directional jump landings in athletes with chronic ankle instability (CAI) would help health professionals develop interventions to reduce the risk of recurrent injuries. The aim was to investigate the angle, angular velocity and moments of the ankle joint, and muscle activity of peroneus longus (PL), tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemius (GAS) muscles during multi-directional landings in athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI). Methods Nineteen athletes with CAI (≤ 25 Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool -Thai Score) participated. A Vicon Nexus motion analysis system synchronously collected data with an AMTI forceplate and surface electromyography to capture kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity, respectively. Participants were asked to perform single-leg jump-landing tests in forward (0°), 30° diagonal, 60° diagonal, and lateral (90°) directions. Ankle joint kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity of PL, TA, and GAS were analysed. Repeated measure ANOVA and Freidman tests were used to analyse the main effects of jump-landing direction. Results Athletes with CAI exhibited significant differences in ankle angles, angular velocities, ankle moments, and average muscle activity of GAS between directions. Greatest average EMG of GAS muscle was observed during landing in lateral direction compared with forward and 30° diagonal directions. Conclusion Lateral and diagonal direction movements showed the greatest risks associated with recurrent ankle sprains. Impairment of neuromuscular control in both pre-landing and landing phases were observed in athletes with CAI when considered alongside previously published data

Concurrent Validity and Reliability of Two-dimensional Frontal Plane Knee Measurements during Multi-directional Cutting Maneuvers

Background: Excessive knee valgus has been strongly suggested as a contributing key factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis is considered the “gold standard” to assess joint kinematics, however, this is difficult for on-field assessments and for clinical setting. Purpose: To assess the concurrent validity and reliability of two-dimensional (2D) frontal plane measurement of the knee joint in multi-directional cutting maneuvers. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study Method: Seven recreational soccer players participated in this study. Participants performed three trials of cutting maneuvers in three different directions (30º, 60º, and 90º) with the dominant leg. Cutting maneuvers were recorded simultaneously with a video camera and a ViconTM motion capture system. Knee valgus angle from 2D and 3D measurements at initial contact and at peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) were extracted. The Pearson’s correlation was used to explore the relationship between the 2D and 3D measurements, and reliability of the 2D measurements were performed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Result: Significant correlations between 2D and 3D knee valgus measurements were noted for 60º (r = 0.45) and 90º (r = 0.77) cutting maneuvers at initial contact. At peak vGRF, significant correlations between 2D and 3D knee valgus measurements were noted for 30º, 60º, and 90º cutting maneuvers (r=0.45, r=0.74, r=0.78), respectively. Good-to-excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of the 2D knee valgus measurements was observed during cutting in all directions (ICCs: 0.821-0.997). Conclusion: Moderate-to-strong correlation between 2D and 3D knee valgus measurements during 60°-90° cutting maneuvers, and good-to-excellent intra-rater and excellent inter-rater reliability for the 2D measurements in the present study supports the use of 2D knee valgus measurements in the evaluation of targeted interventions, although the limitations of examining cutting maneuvers using 2D measurement in complex movement still need to be considered

Perceptions of Stigma Associated with Chronic Knee Pain: Voices of Selected Women in Thailand and Malaysia

Introduction A higher prevalence of knee pain in Southeast Asian countries, compared with non-Asian countries, is an established fact. This article hypothesizes that this fact, combined with personal, cultural, and environmental factors, may influence attitudes towards illness and treatment-seeking behaviour and adherence. Objective This study aimed to determine current attitudes, stigma, and barriers of women to the management of chronic knee pain and treatment in two Southeast Asian countries. Methods Fourteen semi-structured interviews explored female lived perceptions of chronic knee pain in Southeast Asia. Using a phenomenological reduction process, open-ended questions allowed participants to voice their perceptions of their experience of this knee condition. Particular foci were potential stigma associated with the perceptions of others, health-seeking attitudes, and attitudes towards exercise. Results The shared experiences of managing chronic knee pain revealed the impact of their condition on participants' normality of life and their struggles with pain, limitations, and fear for the future. Key individual, interpersonal, organisational and community barriers and facilitators impacted the health seeking attitudes and engagement with conservative rehabilitation programmes. Conclusion Improved socio-cultural competency and consideration for an individuals’ intersectional identity and interpersonal relationships are key to designing rehabilitation and conservative management solutions. Co-creating alternative pathways for rehabilitation for individuals that are more distant from health facilities may help reduce socio-cultural barriers at a community level

The simplified Chinese version of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score (KOOS) in individuals with knee osteoarthritis for mainland China: the study of reliability and validity

Abstract Background The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score (KOOS) is a free clinical tool commonly used to evaluate the symptoms and functional status of patients with knee injury. For people who speak Chinese, the Hong Kong Chinese and Singapore Chinese versions are preferred. However, variations in the Chinese language and culture are influenced by the country’s geography. KOOS for Mainland China has not been reported. Therefore, the current study was to cross-culturally translate the original English version into a simplified Chinese version and to investigate its psychometric properties. Methods The simplified Chinese KOOS was obtained through forward-backward translation according to appropriate guidelines. A total of 158 individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) were recruited from 13 hospitals in China to examine the psychometric properties. The test-retest questionnaire was performed at an interval of 5–7 days. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach’s alpha, respectively. The data of the first test were used to analyse the construct validity of the simplified Chinese KOOS and Chinese SF-36 through convergent and discriminant validity using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results Cross-cultural translation exhibited minor cultural differences, and the questionnaire was well understood by the patients. The data from 128 patients, used for the test-retest reliability study, showed good to excellent reliability, with an ICC of 0.808–0.976 for all KOOS subscales. The Cronbach’s alpha for all subscales ranged from 0.757 to 0.970, indicating acceptable internal consistency. There was a low-to-high correlation between the five domains of the simplified Chinese version of the KOOS and all domains of the SF-36 in construct validity. Conclusion The simplified Chinese KOOS demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. In clinical practice and research, this version can help provide valuable information on health-related quality of life for Chinese individuals with KOA in mainland China