title: Effect of Forefoot Strike on Lower Extremity Muscle Activity and Knee Joint Angle During Cutting in Female Team Handball Players.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of different strike forms, during cutting, on knee joint angle and lower limb muscle activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surface electromyography was used to measure muscle activity in individuals performing cutting manoeuvres involving either rearfoot strikes (RFS) or forefoot strikes (FFS). Three-dimensional motion analysis was used to calculate changes in knee angles, during cutting, and to determine the relationship between muscle activity and knee joint angle. Force plates were synchronized with electromyography measurements to compare muscle activity immediately before and after foot strike.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The valgus angle tends to be smaller during FFS cutting than during RFS cutting. Just prior to ground contact, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle activities were significantly greater during FFS cutting than during RFS cutting; tibialis anterior muscle activity was greater during RFS cutting. Immediately after ground contact, biceps femoris and lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle activities were significantly greater during FFS cutting than during RFS cutting; tibialis anterior muscle activity was significantly lower during FFS cutting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study suggest that the hamstrings demonstrate greater activity, immediately after foot strike, during FFS cutting than during RFS cutting. Thus, FFS cutting may involve a lower risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury than does RFS cutting.
authors: Faculty of Health Care, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Teikyo Heisei University, 2-51-4 Higashi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-8445 Japan.
authors: Naruto
authors: N
authors: Yoshida
authors: Division of Sports Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors: Shun
authors: S
authors: Kunugi
authors: Division of Sports Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors: Sonoko
authors: S
authors: Mashimo
authors: Faculty of Health Care, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Teikyo Heisei University, 2-51-4 Higashi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-8445 Japan.
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Okuma
authors: Division of Sports Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors: Akihiko
authors: A
authors: Masunari
authors: Faculty of Health Care, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Teikyo Heisei University, 2-51-4 Higashi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-8445 Japan.
authors: Shogo
authors: S
authors: Miyazaki
authors: Faculty of Health Care, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Teikyo Heisei University, 2-51-4 Higashi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-8445 Japan.
authors: Tatsuya
authors: T
authors: Hisajima
authors: Division of Sports Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors: Shumpei
authors: S
authors: Miyakawa
keywords: ACL injury; EMG; Knee valgus; Motion analysis; Prevention