An investigation into the role of gluteal muscle strength and EMG activity in controlling HIP and knee motion during landing tasks

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the relationship between gluteal muscle activity and strength and knee and hip biomechanics during single leg loading tasks. Design: Correlation study. Setting: University Biomechanics laboratory. Participants: 34 physically active, healthy participants, (17 males and 17 females). Main outcome measures: gluteal muscle EMG activity; hip abduction and extension muscle strength; knee and hip angles and moments. Results: In females knee abduction moments and angles were strongly correlated to hip abduction strength across all tasks, whereas in males the relationships were less clear across tasks with both hip abduction strength and gluteus medius EMG activity showing the strongest relationships in specific tasks. Conclusion: Hip and knee kinetic and kinematic variables related to the development of dynamic knee valgus would appear to be influenced by gluteal muscle strength and EMG activity. The level of influence varies across single leg squatting and landing tasks and varies between genders.