Masters Degrees (Physiotherapy)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Physiotherapy) by Author "Bruinders, Ernestine Valmare"

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    Knee joint kinematics during the landing phase of the double leg jump in athletes with chronic groin pain
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Bruinders, Ernestine Valmare; Louw, Quinette A.; Williams, Leone; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Physiotherapy.
    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.