Elsevier

Journal of Biomechanics

Volume 110, 18 September 2020, 109965
Journal of Biomechanics

Weak associations between hip adduction angle and hip abductor muscle activity during running

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2020.109965Get rights and content

Abstract

Hip abductor muscle strengthening is often prescribed to reduce the peak hip adduction angle in runners with overuse knee injury. However, no evidence exists associating greater isometric hip abductor muscle strength with smaller peak hip adduction angle during running. Beyond muscle strength, muscle activation patterns may play an important role in controlling joint movement during running. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to determine if associations existed among hip adduction angle, hip abductor muscle activity, and isometric hip abductor muscle strength. Twenty-five currently healthy female runners participated. Average gluteus medius muscle activity and tensor fascia lata muscle activity were determined during hip abductor maximal voluntary isometric contractions. Three-dimensional kinematics and hip abductor muscle activity were collected during treadmill running. Dependent variables were analyzed via Pearson product moment correlations. Multi-variable linear regression determined muscle activity’s and strength’s contributions to the peak hip adduction angle. A fair positive correlation was observed between the peak hip adduction angle and average tensor fascia lata muscle activity magnitude. Additionally, there was a moderate negative correlation between isometric hip abductor muscle strength and average gluteus medius muscle activity magnitude. Tensor fascia lata activity magnitude accounted for the most variance of the peak hip adduction angle. This study adds to the literature which indicates a lack of association between isometric hip abductor muscle strength and peak hip adduction angle in healthy runners. Factors other than hip abductor muscle strength and activation may account for more of the variance in peak hip adduction angles among runners.

Introduction

A large peak hip adduction angle may be a biomechanical predictor of the two most common overuse running injuries in women: patellofemoral pain syndrome (Noehren et al., 2013) and iliotibial band syndrome (Noehren et al., 2007). Hip abductor muscle strengthening was recommended to reduce hip adduction in runners with patellofemoral pain syndrome (Ireland et al., 2003) and iliotibial band syndrome (Fredericson and Weir, 2006). Yet, there is no association between the peak hip adduction angle during running and isometric hip abductor muscle strength (Baggaley et al., 2015, Heinert et al., 2008).

Beyond muscle strength, muscle activation patterns likely play an important role in controlling joint movement during running. In anticipation of foot-contact, the central nervous system pre-activates the hip abductor musculature to provide body-weight support and limit frontal plane hip motion (Chaudhari and Andriacchi, 2006). The muscle force produced by the hip abductor gluteus medius during the stance phase of running is larger than the other hip abductor muscles (Lenhart et al., 2014). Gluteus medius contributes to supporting body-weight (Pandy and Andriacchi, 2010) and stabilizing the hip joint (Gottschalk et al., 1989) during the stance phase of gait, particularly during weight acceptance. Additionally, tensor fascia lata assists in resisting excessive hip adduction and actively abducts the hip during the stance phase of gait (Gottschalk et al., 1989, Lenhart et al., 2014). Collectively, gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata activity magnitude and activity duration may be more important factors limiting the peak hip adduction angle and controlling the rate of hip adduction during the stance phase of running than maximal isometric hip abductor muscle strength.

No previous study has investigated if associations exist between the peak hip adduction angle and hip abductor muscle activity in healthy female runners. However, greater hip adduction excursion had a fair association with lower gluteus medius activity onset prior to foot contact during running in female runners with patellofemoral pain syndrome (Willson et al., 2011). This suggests at least a fair linkage of gluteus medius activity controlling hip kinematics during running. Additionally, during drop landing, average gluteus medius activity magnitude was higher in participants with low isometric hip abductor muscle strength compared to the high strength group (Homan et al., 2013). Yet, no differences in the peak hip adduction angle and hip adduction excursion were observed between groups during drop landing (Homan et al., 2013). The lack of group differences in hip adduction angles during landing was hypothesized to be due to the greater average gluteus medius activity magnitude to compensate for less strength (Homan et al., 2013). However, associations between hip adduction angle and hip abductor muscle activity during the stance phase of gait remains under-investigated in female runners. No previous study has examined the associations among hip adduction kinematics, hip abductor muscle activity, and isometric hip abductor muscle strength in a healthy sample of female runners. Additionally, it is unknown the individual contributions of hip abductor muscle activity and isometric hip abductor muscle strength to the peak hip adduction angle during running. Furthering our understanding of the central nervous system’s contribution to controlling the peak hip adduction angle during running may provide insight towards improving hip mechanics in those with a history of overuse knee injury.

Therefore, the purpose of this cross-sectional investigation was to determine if associations existed among hip adduction kinematics, hip abductor muscle activity, and isometric hip abductor muscle strength in healthy female runners. Our secondary purpose was to determine the relative contributions of hip abductor muscle activity and isometric hip abductor muscle strength to the total variance of the peak hip adduction angle. We hypothesized that hip adduction angle at foot-contact, peak hip adduction angle, hip adduction excursion, peak hip adduction velocity would each have negative associations with gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata activity. Additionally, we hypothesized that isometric hip abductor muscle strength would not be associated with the peak hip adduction angle, hip adduction excursion, or hip adduction velocity. Isometric hip abductor muscle strength was hypothesized to be inversely associated with gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata activity. Finally, it was hypothesized that gluteus medius activity magnitude would predict the most amount of the variance in the peak hip adduction angle.

Section snippets

Methods

Central Washington University’s Human Subjects Research Council granted approval for all procedures prior to the commencement of this study. Each runner provided her written informed consent to participate. Women were recruited from the Central Washington University campus and Ellensburg, WA community via word of mouth, flyers, and a University approved social media. To participate, all runners were between the ages of 18–45 years, had been injury-free for at least three months prior to data

Results

Female runners’ descriptive statistics (mean ± standard deviation) of hip adduction kinematics, hip abductor muscle activity, and isometric hip abductor muscle strength are provided (Table 2).

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to determine if associations existed among hip adduction kinematics, hip abductor muscle activity, and isometric hip abductor muscle strength in healthy female runners. Contrary to our hypothesis, gluteus medius activity during running was unrelated to the hip adduction angle during running. Additionally, a fair positive relationship between tensor fascia lata activity during running and the peak hip adduction angle was unexpected. In agreement with our hypothesis,

Conclusion

This study found low associations between the peak hip adduction angle and hip adduction excursion with hip abductor muscle activity during running. Furthermore, isometric hip abductor muscle strength was not associated with either the peak hip adduction angle or hip adduction excursion during running. There was a positive fair association between tensor fascia lata activity magnitude and peak hip adduction angles during running. However, the relatively weak relationship between tensor fascia

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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