Citation

Hammond CA, Hatfield GL, Gilbart MK, Garland SJ, Hunt MA. Clin. Biomech. 2017; 42: 108-114.

Affiliation

Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address: michael.hunt@ubc.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2017.01.015

PMID

28135662

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Femoroacetabular impingement is a pathomechanical hip condition leading to pain and impaired physical function. It has been shown that those with femoroacetabular impingement exhibit altered gait characteristics during level walking and stair climbing, and decreased muscle force production during isometric muscle contractions. However, no studies to-date have looked at trunk kinematics or muscle activation during dynamic movements such as stair climbing in this patient population. The purpose of this study was to compare biomechanical outcomes (trunk and lower limb kinematics as well as lower limb kinetics and muscle activation) during stair climbing in those with and without symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement.

METHODS: Trunk, hip, knee and ankle kinematics, as well as hip, knee and ankle kinetics and muscle activity of nine lower limb muscles were collected during stair climbing for 20 people with clinical and radiographic femoroacetabular impingement and compared to 20 age- and sex-matched pain-free individuals.

FINDINGS: Those with femoroacetabular impingement ascended the stairs slower (effect size=0.82), had significantly increased peak trunk forward flexion angles (effect size=0.99) and external hip flexion moments (effect size=0.94) and had decreased peak external knee flexion moments (effect size=0.90) compared to the control group.

INTERPRETATION: Findings from this study indicate that while those with and without femoroacetabular impingement exhibit many biomechanical similarities when ascending stairs, differences in trunk forward flexion and joint kinetics indicate some important differences. Further longitudinal research is required to elucidate the cause of these differences as well as the clinical relevance.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Biomechanics; Electromyography; Femoroacetabular impingement; Hip; Stair climbing