title: Trunk and lower limb biomechanics during stair climbing in people with and without symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Femoroacetabular impingement is a pathomechanical hip condition leading to pain and impaired physical function. It has been shown that those with femoroacetabular impingement exhibit altered gait characteristics during level walking and stair climbing, and decreased muscle force production during isometric muscle contractions. However, no studies to-date have looked at trunk kinematics or muscle activation during dynamic movements such as stair climbing in this patient population. The purpose of this study was to compare biomechanical outcomes (trunk and lower limb kinematics as well as lower limb kinetics and muscle activation) during stair climbing in those with and without symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trunk, hip, knee and ankle kinematics, as well as hip, knee and ankle kinetics and muscle activity of nine lower limb muscles were collected during stair climbing for 20 people with clinical and radiographic femoroacetabular impingement and compared to 20 age- and sex-matched pain-free individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Those with femoroacetabular impingement ascended the stairs slower (effect size=0.82), had significantly increased peak trunk forward flexion angles (effect size=0.99) and external hip flexion moments (effect size=0.94) and had decreased peak external knee flexion moments (effect size=0.90) compared to the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from this study indicate that while those with and without femoroacetabular impingement exhibit many biomechanical similarities when ascending stairs, differences in trunk forward flexion and joint kinetics indicate some important differences. Further longitudinal research is required to elucidate the cause of these differences as well as the clinical relevance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Connor A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Gillian L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hatfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia: Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Gilbart
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University: London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: S Jayne
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Garland
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address: michael.hunt@ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hunt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D057925:Femoracetabular Impingement / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D000072799:Stair Climbing / Q000502:physiology*; D060726:Torso / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Biomechanics; Electromyography; Femoroacetabular impingement; Hip; Stair climbing