Gender differences in offaxis neuromuscular control during stepping under a slippery condition.
OBJECTIVE
Females are at greater risks of musculoskeletal injuries than are males, which may be related to decreased neuromuscular control in axial and/or frontal planes, offaxis neuromuscular control. The objective of this study was to investigate gender differences in offaxis neuromuscular control during stepping under a slippery condition.


METHODS
Forty-three healthy subjects (21 males and 22 females) performed different stepping tasks under a slippery condition, namely, free pivoting task (FPT) to control axial plane pivoting, free sliding task (FST) to control frontal plane sliding, and free pivoting and sliding task (FPST) to control axial pivoting, and frontal sliding on a custom-made offaxis elliptical trainer.


RESULTS
Compared to males, females showed significantly higher pivoting instability, higher max internal and external pivoting angles, higher mean max medial and lateral sliding distance, and higher entropy of time to peak EMG in the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles during the FPST and higher entropy of time to peak EMG in the lateral gastrocnemius muscle during the FPT and FST.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings may help us understand potential injury risk factors associated with gender differences, and provide a basis for developing targeted neuromuscular training to improve offaxis neuromuscular control, and reduce musculoskeletal injuries associated with excessive offaxis loadings.
Sensory-Motor Performance Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Suite 1406, 345 E. Superior Street, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Song Joo
SJ
Lee
Yupeng
Y
Ren
François
F
Geiger
Li-Qun
LQ
Zhang
D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D004856:Postural Balance; D012737:Sex Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*