Effect of gender on trunk and pelvis control during lateral movements with perturbed landing

Abstract

In lateral reactive movements, core stability may influence knee and hip joint kinematics and kinetics. Insufficient core stabilisation is discussed as a major risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Due to the higher probability of ACL injuries in women, this study concentrates on how gender influences trunk, pelvis and leg kinematics during lateral reactive jumps (LRJs). Perturbations were investigated in 12 men and 12 women performing LRJs under three different landing conditions: a movable landing platform was programmed to slide, resist or counteract upon landing. Potential group effects on three-dimensional trunk, pelvic, hip and knee kinematics were analysed for initial contact (IC) and the time of peak pelvic medial tilt (PPT). Regardless of landing conditions, the joint excursions in the entire lower limb joints were gender-specific. Women exhibited higher trunk left axial rotation at PPT (women: 4.0 ± 7.5°, men: -3.1 ± 8.2°; p = 0.011) and higher hip external rotation at both IC and PPT (p < 0.01). But women demonstrated higher knee abduction compared to men. Men demonstrated more medial pelvic tilt at IC and especially PPT (men: -5.8 ± 4.9°, women: 0.3 ± 6.3°; p = 0.015). Strategies for maintaining trunk, pelvis and lower limb alignment during lateral reactive movements were gender-specific; the trunk and hip rotations displayed by the women were associated with the higher knee abduction amplitudes and therefore might reflect a movement strategy which is associated with higher injury risk. However, training interventions are needed to fully understand how gender-specific core stability strategies are related to performance and knee injury.

Landing Biomechanics During a Single-leg Landing With Lateral Trunk Obliquity in Female Athletes

“…However, we failed to nd gender-based differences in knee kinetic or kinematics. Instead, female subjects showed larger hip external rotation angle at IC than male subjects as similar to previous studies [26,27]. Since hip internal rotation is a part of dynamic knee valgus motion and associated with larger knee abduction moment [4,28], increased hip external rotation would diminish dynamic knee valgus motion and knee abduction moment.…”

Influence of a Functional Core Stability Program on Trunk and Knee Joint Biomechanics in Female Athletes During Lateral Movements

“…Perturbed lateral reactive jumps yielded significantly different segment and joint configurations. This influence of LRJ modality has already been described in the literature (24,34). Moreover, during perturbed lateral reactive jumps, the trunk and pelvis positioning Although significant, these changes in trunk lateral flexion and pelvis lateral tilt were rather small given the standard error of the measurements (0.7° and 1.3°, respectively).…”

Effects of perturbation or plyometric training on core control and knee joint loading in women during lateral movements

“…The markers (∅14 mm) were placed on the suprasternal notch, the transition between the body of the sternum and the xiphoid process, the T6 vertebra, the anterior and posterior superior iliac spines, the great trochanter, medial and lateral epicondyles of the knee, the tibia (two markers), the medial and lateral malleoli, the first and fifth metatarsal head, the second proximal phalange, and the posterior, medial, and lateral aspects of the heel cup, respectively. This marker placement was used in previously published articles for the lower limb (Gehring et al., ) and the trunk (Mornieux et al., ; Weltin et al., , ). A 12‐camera motion analysis system (Vicon V‐MX, VICON Motion System Ltd., Oxford, UK) was used to record marker trajectories at a sampling frequency of 200 Hz.…”

“…Training programs addressing the development of motor programs specific to lateral movements should enable athletes to control trunk and pelvic motion together with lower limb alignment during athletic maneuvers (Weltin et al., ). It has been shown that a warm‐up program targeting, for instance, core stability would reduce the rate of ACL injury in adolescent female football players (Walden et al., ).…”