Gender differences in hip joint kinematics and kinetics during side-step cutting maneuver.
OBJECTIVE
Based on the recent suggestion that proximal hip control may be related to a predisposition to anterior cruciate ligament injury, our purpose was to identify gender differences in hip mechanics between female athletes who previously demonstrated greater knee valgus moments and their male counterparts.


METHODS
Descriptive laboratory study.


METHODS
Testing was conducted in a biomechanics research laboratory.


METHODS
Thirty collegiate soccer players (15 women and 15 men) participated in this study. All subjects were healthy with no current complaints of lower extremity injury.


METHODS
Three-dimensional hip joint kinematics and kinetics were collected while subjects performed a side-step cutting maneuver. Gender differences in hip mechanics were compared using independent sample t tests.


RESULTS
Compared with male athletes, female athletes demonstrated significantly greater hip internal rotation and decreased hip flexion. In addition, female athletes demonstrated significantly greater hip adductor moments as well as decreased hip extensor moments.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, it appeared that female athletes moved into greater hip internal rotation and used less sagittal plane hip motion during the early deceleration phase of the cutting maneuver. The findings of this investigation support the premise that altered hip kinematics and kinetics may influence loading at the knee. Future studies are needed to further explore the impact of these differences on knee loading and to ascertain the underlying causes.
Pollard
Christine D
CD
Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Laboratory, Department of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 East Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. cpollard@usc.edu
Sigward
Susan M
SM
Powers
Christopher M
CM
D000328:Adult; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012737:Sex Factors; D013177:Sports