scholarly journals Restrictions in Ankle Dorsiflexion Range of Motion Alter Landing Kinematics But Not Movement Strategy When Fatigued

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Louis Howe ◽  
Jamie S. North ◽  
Mark Waldron ◽  
Theodoros M. Bampouras

Context: Ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM) has been associated with a number of kinematic and kinetic variables associated with landing performance that increase injury risk. However, whether exercise-induced fatigue exacerbates compensatory strategies has not yet been established. Objectives: (1) Explore differences in landing performance between individuals with restricted and normal ankle DF ROM and (2) identify the effect of fatigue on compensations in landing strategies for individuals with restricted and normal ankle DF ROM. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: University research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twelve recreational athletes with restricted ankle DF ROM (restricted group) and 12 recreational athletes with normal ankle DF ROM (normal group). Main Outcome Measure(s): The participants performed 5 bilateral drop-landings, before and following a fatiguing protocol. Normalized peak vertical ground reaction force, time to peak vertical ground reaction force, and loading rate were calculated, alongside sagittal plane initial contact angles, peak angles, and joint displacement for the ankle, knee, and hip. Frontal plane projection angles were also calculated. Results: At the baseline, the restricted group landed with significantly less knee flexion (P = .005, effect size [ES] = 1.27) at initial contact and reduced peak ankle dorsiflexion (P < .001, ES = 1.67), knee flexion (P < .001, ES = 2.18), and hip-flexion (P = .033, ES = 0.93) angles. Sagittal plane joint displacement was also significantly less for the restricted group for the ankle (P < .001, ES = 1.78), knee (P < .001, ES = 1.78), and hip (P = .028, ES = 0.96) joints. Conclusions: These findings suggest that individuals with restricted ankle DF ROM should adopt different landing strategies than those with normal ankle DF ROM. This is exacerbated when fatigued, although the functional consequences of fatigue on landing mechanics in individuals with ankle DF ROM restriction are unclear.

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Quammen ◽  
Nelson Cortes ◽  
Bonnie L. Van Lunen ◽  
Shawn Lucci ◽  
Stacie I. Ringleb ◽  
...  

Context: Altered neuromuscular control strategies during fatigue probably contribute to the increased incidence of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes. Objective: To determine biomechanical differences between 2 fatigue protocols (slow linear oxidative fatigue protocol [SLO-FP] and functional agility short-term fatigue protocol [FAST-FP]) when performing a running-stop-jump task. Design: Controlled laboratory study. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: A convenience sample of 15 female soccer players (age = 19.2 ±0.8 years, height = 1.67±0.05m, mass = 61.7 + 8.1 kg) without injury participated. Intervention(s): Five successful trials of a running–stop-jump task were obtained prefatigue and postfatigue during the 2 protocols. For the SLO-FP, a peak oxygen consumption (V˙o2peak) test was conducted before the fatigue protocol. Five minutes after the conclusion of the V˙o2peak test, participants started the fatigue protocol by performing a 30-minute interval run. The FAST-FP consisted of 4 sets of a functional circuit. Repeated 2 (fatigue protocol) × 2 (time) analyses of variance were conducted to assess differences between the 2 protocols and time (prefatigue, postfatigue). Main Outcome Measure(s): Kinematic and kinetic measures of the hip and knee were obtained at different times while participants performed both protocols during prefatigue and postfatigue. Results: Internal adduction moment at initial contact (IC) was greater during FAST-FP (0.064 ±0.09 Nm/kgm) than SLO-FP (0.024±0.06 Nm/kgm) (F1,14 = 5.610, P=.03). At IC, participants had less hip flexion postfatigue (44.7°±8.1°) than prefatigue (50.1°±9.5°) (F1,14 = 16.229, P=.001). At peak vertical ground reaction force, participants had less hip flexion postfatigue (44.7°±8.4°) than prefatigue (50.4°±10.3°) (F1,14 = 17.026, P=.001). At peak vertical ground reaction force, participants had less knee flexion postfatigue (−35.9°±6.5°) than prefatigue (−38.8°±5.03°) (F1,14 = 11.537, P=.001). Conclusions: Our results demonstrated a more erect landing posture due to a decrease in hip and knee flexion angles in the postfatigue condition. The changes were similar between protocols; however, the FAST-FP was a clinically applicable 5-minute protocol, whereas the SLO-FP lasted approximately 45 minutes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Cortes ◽  
James Onate ◽  
João Abrantes ◽  
Linda Gagen ◽  
Elizabeth Dowling ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to assess kinematic lower extremity motion patterns (hip flexion, knee flexion, knee valgus, and ankle dorsiflexion) during various foot-landing techniques (self-preferred, forefoot, and rear foot) between genders. 3-D kinematics were collected on 50 (25 male and 25 female) college-age recreational athletes selected from a sample of convenience. Separate repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to analyze each variable at three time instants (initial contact, peak vertical ground reaction force, and maximum knee flexion angle). There were no significant differences found between genders at the three instants for each variable. At initial contact, the forefoot technique (35.79° ± 11.78°) resulted in significantly (p= .001) less hip flexion than did the self-preferred (41.25° ± 12.89°) and rear foot (43.15° ± 11.77°) techniques. At peak vertical ground reaction force, the rear foot technique (26.77° ± 9.49°) presented significantly lower (p= .001) knee flexion angles as compared with forefoot (58.77° ± 20.00°) and self-preferred (54.21° ± 23.78°) techniques. A significant difference for knee valgus angles (p= .001) was also found between landing techniques at peak vertical ground reaction force. The self-preferred (4.12° ± 7.51°) and forefoot (4.97° ± 7.90°) techniques presented greater knee varus angles as compared with the rear foot technique (0.08° ± 6.52°). The rear foot technique created more ankle dorsiflexion and less knee flexion than did the other techniques. The lack of gender differences can mean that lower extremity injuries (e.g., ACL tears) may not be related solely to gender but may instead be associated with the landing technique used and, consequently, the way each individual absorbs jump-landing energy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-31
Author(s):  
Min-Hao Hung ◽  
Chi-Yao Chang ◽  
Kuo-Chuan Lin ◽  
Chia-Ling Hung ◽  
Chin-Shan Ho

AbstractPrevious research in badminton has associated unilateral landings following overhead strokes with the occurrence of knee injuries. Smashing involves tensing the abdomen muscles while swinging the racket rapidly and maintaining one’s balance while performing coordinated movements and steps; this process puts stress on the player’s lower limbs. However, few studies have compared the effects of different stroke training while performing various types of badminton strokes. This study investigated the influence of different stroke training on the smash action of badminton players. Three stroke training conditions were considered: shadow, target striking, and smashing. Sixteen male experienced badminton players were recruited for this study. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni correction was used to identify the differences. At the initial contact with the ground, the knee flexion and knee valgus angles under the smash condition were significantly higher than target and shadow conditions. Under the smash condition, hip abduction was significantly higher than under the target and shadow conditions. Moreover, the hip abduction under the target condition was significantly higher than under the shadow condition. At the maximum knee flexion, the hip abduction under the smash and target conditions was significantly higher than under the shadow condition. Regarding the time from the moment of initial contact to the peak of vertical ground reaction force it was shorter under the smash condition than the target and shadow conditions. The vertical ground reaction force was higher under the smash condition than under the target and shadow conditions. The 50 ms impulse was higher under the smash condition than under the target and shadow conditions. The main findings of this study are that under the smash condition, the motion in the frontal plane increased, which produced higher loads on the joints in the lower limbs. Player performed the same footwork under the three conditions, but the landing strategies differed because of unique swing motions and techniques. The condition under which a player hits a shot to a target area can affect the landing. The results of this study suggest that target practice is more effective for improving the landing technique employed during actual shots than shadow practice.


1997 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 236-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Cook ◽  
Kevin P. Farrell ◽  
Iva A. Carey ◽  
Joan M. Gibbs ◽  
Gregory E. Wiger

Author(s):  
Chi-Yin Tse ◽  
Hamid Nayeb-Hashemi ◽  
Ashkan Vaziri ◽  
Paul K. Canavan

A single-leg landing is a common type of high-risk maneuver performed by athletes. The majority of anterior cruciate ligament injury is accounted for by non-contact mechanisms, such as single-leg landings. The purpose of this study was to develop a subject specific single-leg drop landing to analyze the kinematics and kinetics of two different types of landings. Kinematic data was analyzed at five points during the landing phase: initial contact (IC), peak vertical ground reaction force (pVGRF), peak joint reaction force (pJRF), maximum knee flexion (MKF), and maximum valgus angle (MFP). A linear relationship was noted in comparing the average maximum peak vertical ground reaction force, average maximum knee flexion, and average maximum valgus angle to the platform heights in both landing styles. An increase in platform height was directly related to increased knee valgus angle in both landing styles. Significant difference (p < 0.05) was noted in the peak vertical ground reaction force between the 60% and 80% platform heights, as well as between 60% and 100% with arms above. Landing with arms across the body yielded more significant difference (p < 0.05) between platform heights in both frontal and sagittal planes. However, comparing both landing styles to each other only yielded significant difference (p < 0.05) at the 100% platform height. A valgus-varus-valgus movement was observed in all landings, and is a probable contributor to single-leg landing ACL ruptures.


2017 ◽  
Vol 124 (5) ◽  
pp. 992-1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela R. Bruton ◽  
Roger D. Adams ◽  
Nicholas J. O’Dwyer

We suspected that the observed inconsistency of sex differences in drop-landing motor skills might be due to the confounding factor of prior experience. Thus, in this study, we explored the role of experience in shaping male and female surfboard riders’ motor skill kinematics during drop landings while surfboard riding. We recruited 42 participants (21 females and 21 males) from three groups of surfing experience levels (competitive surfers, recreational surfers, and nonsurfers), each equally comprising seven males and seven females. Sagittal plane kinematics and vertical ground reaction force data were collected from all participants during a laboratory-based 60-cm drop-landing task. Knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion at initial ground contact were greater among male participants, independent of experience level. In both sexes, greater range of motion at these joints was related to greater experience. Recreational female surfers landed in a more upright posture with more extended ankle and knee angles and less ankle dorsiflexion at the end of landing than participants in all other groups. We discuss our results in the context of possible remaining experience differences between male and female participants despite being grouped in the same experience levels in our study, individualized motor patterns that may still achieve similar success, and a need for continued research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-173
Author(s):  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Mianfang Ruan ◽  
Navrag B. Singh ◽  
Lingyan Huang ◽  
Xin Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Few studies have focused on the effect of fatigue severity on landing strategy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of fatigue progression on ground reaction force during landing. Eighteen participants performed a fatigue exercise protocol. Then participants performed drop landings at three levels of fatigue: no fatigue, medium fatigue, and severe fatigue. Multiple linear regression was conducted to identify the predictors of the peak vertical ground reaction force at each level of fatigue. Two-way ANOVAs were conducted to test the effect of fatigue on the vertical ground reaction force and the predictors. For the vertical ground reaction force, the knee joint stiffness and the knee angle at initial contact were the main predictors at no fatigue. The peak knee flexion angle and knee power were the main predictors at medium fatigue. However, the peak ankle plantarflexion moments became the main predictor at severe fatigue. The vertical ground reaction force decreased from no to medium fatigue (p = 0.001), and then increased from medium to severe fatigue (p = 0.034). The knee joint stiffness decreased from no to medium fatigue (p = 0.049), and then remained unchanged from medium to severe fatigue. The peak knee flexion angle increased from no to medium fatigue (p = 0.001), and then slightly decreased from medium to severe fatigue (p = 0.051). The results indicate that fatigue progression causes a transition from stiff to soft landing, and then to stiff landing. Participants used ankle joints more to control the landing intensity at severe fatigue.


2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle R. Wilderman ◽  
Scott E. Ross ◽  
Darin A. Padua

Abstract Context: Improving neuromuscular control of hamstrings muscles might have implications for decreasing anterior cruciate ligament injuries in females. Objective: To examine the effects of a 6-week agility training program on quadriceps and hamstrings muscle activation, knee flexion angles, and peak vertical ground reaction force. Design: Prospective, randomized clinical research trial. Setting: Sports medicine research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Thirty female intramural basketball players with no history of knee injury (age  =  21.07 ± 2.82 years, height  =  171.27 ± 4.66 cm, mass  =  66.36 ± 7.41 kg). Intervention(s): Participants were assigned to an agility training group or a control group that did not participate in agility training. Participants in the agility training group trained 4 times per week for 6 weeks. Main Outcome Measure(s): We used surface electromyography to assess muscle activation for the rectus femoris, vastus medialis oblique, medial hamstrings, and lateral hamstrings for 50 milliseconds before initial ground contact and while the foot was in contact with the ground during a side-step pivot maneuver. Knee flexion angles (at initial ground contact, maximum knee flexion, knee flexion displacement) and peak vertical ground reaction force also were assessed during this maneuver. Results: Participants in the training group increased medial hamstrings activation during ground contact after the 6-week agility training program. Both groups decreased their vastus medialis oblique muscle activation during ground contact. Knee flexion angles and peak vertical ground reaction force did not change for either group. Conclusions: Agility training improved medial hamstrings activity in female intramural basketball players during a side-step pivot maneuver. Agility training that improves hamstrings activity might have implications for reducing anterior cruciate ligament sprain injury associated with side-step pivots.


2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (5) ◽  
pp. 1315-1325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew B. Udofa ◽  
Kenneth P. Clark ◽  
Laurence J. Ryan ◽  
Peter G. Weyand

Although running shoes alter foot-ground reaction forces, particularly during impact, how they do so is incompletely understood. Here, we hypothesized that footwear effects on running ground reaction force-time patterns can be accurately predicted from the motion of two components of the body’s mass (mb): the contacting lower-limb (m1 = 0.08mb) and the remainder (m2 = 0.92mb). Simultaneous motion and vertical ground reaction force-time data were acquired at 1,000 Hz from eight uninstructed subjects running on a force-instrumented treadmill at 4.0 and 7.0 m/s under four footwear conditions: barefoot, minimal sole, thin sole, and thick sole. Vertical ground reaction force-time patterns were generated from the two-mass model using body mass and footfall-specific measures of contact time, aerial time, and lower-limb impact deceleration. Model force-time patterns generated using the empirical inputs acquired for each footfall matched the measured patterns closely across the four footwear conditions at both protocol speeds ( r2 = 0.96 ± 0.004; root mean squared error  = 0.17 ± 0.01 body-weight units; n = 275 total footfalls). Foot landing angles (θF) were inversely related to footwear thickness; more positive or plantar-flexed landing angles coincided with longer-impact durations and force-time patterns lacking distinct rising-edge force peaks. Our results support three conclusions: 1) running ground reaction force-time patterns across footwear conditions can be accurately predicted using our two-mass, two-impulse model, 2) impact forces, regardless of foot strike mechanics, can be accurately quantified from lower-limb motion and a fixed anatomical mass (0.08mb), and 3) runners maintain similar loading rates (ΔFvertical/Δtime) across footwear conditions by altering foot strike angle to regulate the duration of impact. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we validate a two-mass, two-impulse model of running vertical ground reaction forces across four footwear thickness conditions (barefoot, minimal, thin, thick). Our model allows the impact portion of the impulse to be extracted from measured total ground reaction force-time patterns using motion data from the ankle. The gait adjustments observed across footwear conditions revealed that runners maintained similar loading rates across footwear conditions by altering foot strike angles to regulate the duration of impact.


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