Kinematics of cycling in relation to anterior knee pain and patellar tendinitis

Abstract

The coronal and sagittal plane leg movements of 24 experienced male cyclists were assessed using video analysis while cycling on a Kingcycle windload simulator. The cyclists were grouped into those with a history of injury and an asymptomatic group on the basis of self-reported injury status. The ages, cycling experience, competition distances and competition speeds of the two groups were compared using Student's t-test. No significant differences (P < 0.05) were found for any of these variables. The maximum and minimum shank adduction, shank adduction velocities, knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion values were also compared using Student's t-test. Significant differences were found at the point of maximum adduction (1.9 degrees; P = 0.019) and minimum dorsiflexion (4.9 degrees; P = 0.014). These differences indicated more dorsiflexion and greater abduction on the part of the symptomatic cyclists, supporting previous research that found that cyclists with a history of injury differ from those without a history of injury in the coronal plane leg movement patterns they adopt. Also, the most extreme medial position of the knee relative to the ankle occurred during knee extension. This supports the potential injury mechanism proposed by Francis (1986), which had previously only been examined using coronal plane kinematics.

Características cinemáticas da pedalada em ciclistas competitivos de diferentes modalidades

“…Em busca de soluções para algumas destas dúvidas, diversos protocolos de avaliação biomecânica da pedalada são utilizados (4,10,13). Com base na cinemetria, alguns modelos para análise do movimento em duas ou três dimensões têm sido desenvolvidos, com o propósito de explicar as característi-cas mecânicas do movimento cíclico realizado pelos membros inferiores durante a pedalada (1,8,12). Tais análises se tornam, ainda, mais completas quando se têm associados à cinemetria outros métodos de medição, como a dinamometria.…”

Kinematic analyses of semireclined leg cycling in able-bodied and spinal cord injured individuals

“…In particular, a kinematic analysis of the hip, knee, and ankle during leg cycling may help identify incorrect movement patterns, [21][22][23] which can be used to design an optimal rider-bike configurations, in order to promote safe and effective pedaling. Understanding the possible differences in leg movement patterns between AB and SCI individuals may provide insight into ways to redesign FES-LCE systems and thus enhance its potential clinical use.…”

Comparison of Biomechanical Characteristics for the Skill Level in Cycle Pedaling

“…In their literature review on injuries and cyclists, Pruitt and Matheny (2006) emphasized that because pedaling is characterized by repetitive movements compared with other exercises, improper posture or loading can easily cause injuries. In their study, Bailey, Maillardet, and Messenger (2003) found no large difference in sagittal joint angle but found marked differences in knee joint angle in the frontal plane according to the presence or absence of a history of overuse injury. Therefore, as differences in pedaling technique and muscle revelation may be expected between elite and amateur cyclists, the need for examining the activation of pedaling-related joints and muscles is suggested in order to assess the efficiency of the pedaling performance.…”