Article

Step width is a spatiotemporal parameter that may influence lower extremity
biomechanics at the hip and knee joint. The purpose of this study was to
determine the biomechanical response of the lower extremity joints to step width
changes during running. Lower extremity data from 30 healthy runners, half of
them male, were collected during running in three step width conditions:
preferred, wide, and narrow. Dependent variables and step width were analyzed
using a mixed model ANOVA and pairwise t-tests for post hoc comparisons. Step
width was successfully altered in the wide and narrow conditions. Generally,
frontal plane peak values decreased as step width increased from narrow to
preferred to wide. Peak hip adduction and rearfoot eversion angles decreased as
step width increased from narrow to wide. Peak knee abduction moment and knee
abduction impulse also decreased as step width increased from narrow to wide.
Although men and women ran differently, gender only influenced the effect of step
width on peak rearfoot inversion moment. In conclusion, step width influences
lower extremity biomechanics in healthy runners. When step width increased from
narrow to wide, peak values of frontal plane variables decreased. In addition to
previously reported changes at the rearfoot, the hip and knee joint biomechanics
were also influenced by changes in step width.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS