Hip abductor muscle activity during walking in individuals with gluteal tendinopathy

Pelvic drop is caused by decreased hip abductor muscle activity and is associated with lower-extremity injury. Hip abductor strengthening exercises are well established; however, no standard method exists to increase hip abductor activity during functional activities. The purpose of this research was to study the effects of walking with a unilateral weight. A total of 26 healthy adults walked on an instrumented treadmill with and without handheld weight (15%–20% body weight). Muscle activity, kinematic, and kinetic data were collected using surface electromyography, motion capture, and force plates, respectively. Average hip and trunk muscle activity, hip, pelvic, and trunk angles, and peak internal hip moments during stance were compared for each side (contralateral/ipsilateral to the weight) between conditions (unweighted/weighted) using a generalized linear model with generalized estimating equation correction. Interactions between condition and side were observed for muscle activity, frontal plane pelvic and trunk angles, and frontal plane hip moments (P ≤ .003). Compared with the unweighted condition, the weighted condition had higher hip abductor activity contralateral to the weight (P < .001), while no change was found ipsilateral to the weight (P ≥ .790). Similar changes were found for kinematic and kinetic variables. Walking with a unilateral weight may be a therapeutic option to increase functional hip abductor activity.

Download Full-text

Hip Abductor Muscle Force

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American) ◽

10.2106/00004623-196547030-00003 ◽

1965 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 462-476 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

ALAN C. MERCHANT

Keyword(s):

Muscle Force ◽

Abductor Muscle ◽

Hip Abductor

Download Full-text

Changes in Knee Biomechanics After a Hip-Abductor Strengthening Protocol for Runners With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-46.2.142 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 142-149 ◽

Cited By ~ 106

Author(s):

Reed Ferber ◽

Karen D. Kendall ◽

Lindsay Farr

Keyword(s):

Muscle Strength ◽

Knee Joint ◽

Pain Syndrome ◽

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome ◽

Patellofemoral Pain ◽

Genu Valgum ◽

Abductor Muscle ◽

Muscle Strengthening ◽

Peak Knee ◽

Hip Abductor

Abstract Context: Very few authors have investigated the relationship between hip-abductor muscle strength and frontal-plane knee mechanics during running. Objective: To investigate this relationship using a 3-week hip-abductor muscle-strengthening program to identify changes in strength, pain, and biomechanics in runners with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Design: Cohort study. Setting: University-based clinical research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Fifteen individuals (5 men, 10 women) with PFPS and 10 individuals without PFPS (4 men, 6 women) participated. Intervention(s): The patients with PFPS completed a 3-week hip-abductor strengthening protocol; control participants did not. Main Outcome Measure(s): The dependent variables of interest were maximal isometric hip-abductor muscle strength, 2-dimensional peak knee genu valgum angle, and stride-to-stride knee-joint variability. All measures were recorded at baseline and 3 weeks later. Between-groups differences were compared using repeated-measures analyses of variance. Results: At baseline, the PFPS group exhibited reduced strength, no difference in peak genu valgum angle, and increased stride-to-stride knee-joint variability compared with the control group. After the 3-week protocol, the PFPS group demonstrated increased strength, less pain, no change in peak genu valgum angle, and reduced stride-to-stride knee-joint variability compared with baseline. Conclusions: A 3-week hip-abductor muscle-strengthening protocol was effective in increasing muscle strength and decreasing pain and stride-to-stride knee-joint variability in individuals with PFPS. However, concomitant changes in peak knee genu valgum angle were not observed.

Download Full-text