Knee joint kinematics during the landing phase of the double leg jump in athletes with chronic groin pain

Date
2017-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Introduction: Groin injuries are one of the most frequently occurring lower limb injuries, accounting for 5-28% of all sports-related injuries. Groin injuries have a significant morbidity rate and have potentially career-ending outcomes. There is a lack of research investigating the kinematics of the knee joint in athletes with chronic unilateral adductor-related groin pain. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are knee joint kinematic differences between athletes with chronic unilateral adductor-related groin pain and their healthy matched controls, during the landing phase of the double-leg jump. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Eighteen sports’ participants were recruited from running, soccer and rugby clubs within the Cape Peninsula area. The three-dimensional (3D) knee joint kinematics of nine cases with chronic unilateral adductor-related groin pain and their nine asymptomatic matched controls were analysed. The cases were identified by means of a positive adductor squeeze test. Each participant performed three double leg jump-landings, during which the 3D knee joint kinematics was captured using an eight camera Vicon system, at the FNB-3D Vicon Laboratory at Stellenbosch University. The kinematic differences between the cases and their matched controls were measured from initial foot contact until the point of maximum knee flexion during the landing phase of the double-leg jump. Descriptive calculations were used to describe all outcome measures. Means and ranges were calculated to determine variability between participants. Means and standard deviations (SD), followed by a Student’s two-tailed t-test was used to determine significant differences between cases and controls. The effect size of outcomes with p-values equal to or less than 0.05 was calculated using Cohen’s D. Results: The main finding of this study was that there were no statistical significant differences in the knee joint kinematics of cases compared to their matched controls during the landing phase of the double-leg jump. In addition, there were no statistical significant differences in the knee joint kinematics in the inter-limb comparison in cases. However, cases had a tendency to demonstrate increased knee flexion and knee abduction angles in both the case-control and inter-limb comparisons, from initial foot contact to the point of maximum knee flexion, during the landing phase of the double leg jump. Conclusion: Statistically insignificant differences were found in the knee kinematics between cases and their matched controls as well as in the inter-limb comparisons of cases. However, cases had a tendency to have increased knee flexion and abduction angles from initial foot contact to the point of maximum knee flexion, during the landing phase of the double leg jump. The sample size of this study could be the reason for the insignificant kinematic differences. Future research should better define the level of sport participation of the participating cases and controls or alternatively consist of a larger study sample, in order to determine kinematic differences.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Inleiding: Liesbeserings is een van die mees algemene onderste ledemaat beserings, verantwoordelik vir 5-28% van alle sport-verwante beserings. Liesbeserings het ‘n aansienlike morbiditeitskoers en het potensiele loopbaan beeindegende uitkomste tot gevolg. Daar is ‘n gebrek in navorsing oor kniegewrig kinematika in atlete met kroniese unilaterale adduktor-verwante lies pyn. Doelwit: Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal of daar verskille is in kniegewrig kinematika tussen atlete met kroniese unilaterale adduktor-verwante liespyn en hul gesonde ooreenstemmende kontroles, tydens die landfase van die dubbelbeen sprong. Metode: ‘n Deursnee-studie was uitgevoer. Agtien sportdeelnemers van hardloop-, sokker- en rugbyklubs in die Kaapse Skiereiland was gewerf. Die drie-dimensionele (3D) kniegewrig kinematika van nege gevalle met kroniese unilaterale adduktor-verwante liespyn en hul nege asimptomatiese ooreenstemmende kontroles was geanaliseer. Die gevalle was geidentifiseer deur middel van ‘n positiewe adduktor druk toets. Elke deelnemer het drie dubbelbeen sprong-landings uitgevoer, waartydens die 3D kniegewrig kinematika met ‘n agt kamera Vicon sisteem vasgevang was, by die FNB- 3D Vicon Laboratorium te Stellenbosch Universiteit. Die kinematiese verskille tussen die gevalle en hul ooreenstemmende kontroles was gemeet vanaf aanvanlike voet kontak tot die punt van maksimum knie fleksie tydens die landfase van die dubbelbeen sprong. Beskrywende berekeninge was gebruik om alle uitkoms maatstawe te beskryf. Gemiddelde en reekse was bereken om die veranderlikheid tussen deelnemers te bepaal. Gemiddelde waardes en standaardafwykings, wat gevolg was deur ‘n student t-toets wat gebruik was om merkwaardige verskille tussen gevalle en kontroles te bepaal. Die effekgrootte van resultate met p-waardes wat gelyk was aan of minder as 0.05 was bereken met Cohen’s D. Resultate: Die hoof bevinding van hierdie studie was dat daar geen statisties beduidende verskille in die kniegewrig kinematika was van gevalle in vergelyking met hul ooreenstemmende kontroles tydens die landfase van die dubbelbeen sprong. Daarbenewens, was daar geen statisties beduidende verskille in die kniegewrig kinematika in die tussen ledemaat vergelyking in gevalle. Gevalle het egter ‘n neiging gehad om verhoogde knie fleksie en knie abduksie hoeke te toon in beide die geval-kontrole en tussen ledemaat vergelyking, vanaf aanvanklike voet kontak tot die punt van maksimale knie fleksie tydens, die landfase van die dubbelbeen sprong. Gevolgtrekking: Onbeduidende statistiese verskille was bevind in die knie kinematika vergelyking tussen gevalle en hul ooreenstemmende kontroles, sowel as in die tussen ledemaat vergelyking van gevalle. Daar was egter ‘n neiging vir gevalle om verhoogde knie fleksie en abduksie hoeke te toon vanaf aanvanklike voet kontak tot die punt van maksimale knie fleksie, tydens die landfase van die dubbelbeen sprong. Die steekproefgrootte van hierdie studie kon die rede wees vir die onbeduidende kinematiese verskille. Toekomstige navorsing moet die vlak van sport deelneming van die deelnemende gevalle en die kontroles beter beskryf of alternatief uit ‘n groter studie steekproef bestaan, om kinematiese verskille te bepaal.
Description
Thesis (MScPhysio)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
Keywords
Unilateral adductor-related groin pain, Lower limb asymmetry, Knee -- Movements, Sports injuries, UCTD
Citation