The Lumbopelvic-Hip Complex Contribution during Lower Extremity Screening Tests in Elite Figure Skaters

Abstract

Context: Figure skating requires power and stability for takeoff and landing from multirotational jumps and various onice skills. Repetitive forces may cause overuse injuries distally, making lumbopelvic-hip endurance, strength, and neuromuscular control imperative. Objective: To compare lumbopelvic-hip endurance and neuromuscular control in elite figure skaters between sexes and landing and nonlanding limbs using common screening tests. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. Patients or Other Participants: Forty elite figure skaters (20 women, 20 men; age = 23.2 ± 4.3 years) performed the Ybalance test, single-legged squat (SLS), single-legged squat jump (SLSJ), and unilateral hip-bridge endurance test (40 right [R] landing limbs, length = 169.1 ± 12.2 cm). Main Outcome Measure(s): Normalized reach difference (% of leg length) and composite scores [(anterior + posteromedial + posterolateral)/(limb length × 3) × 100] were calculated for the Y-balance test. Skaters held the unilateral hip bridge until failure with a maximum allotted time of 120 seconds. They performed 5 SLSs and 5 SLSJs while barefoot with the contralateral limb held behind them to mimic a landing position. Both tests were scored by the number of times the patella moved medially to the first ray (medial knee displacement [MKD]). Multivariate analyses of variance with post hoc independent t tests were conducted between sexes and groups. Paired t tests were used to analyze limb differences. Results: Women had a larger composite Y-balance score (R = 10.8% of leg length, P = .002; left = 10.5%, P = .001) and hip-bridge hold time (R = 26.4 seconds, P = .004; left = 28.2 seconds, P = .002) for both limbs compared with men. Men held the hip-bridge longer on their landing limb. Six skaters performed worse on their nonlanding limb during the SLS, and 11 skaters had no MKD with either the SLS or SLSJ. Conclusions: Women performed better on the Y-balance and unilateral hip bridge tests. Increased MKD for some skaters during the SLS and SLSJ may have indicated hip-abductor weakness. Understanding the proximal lumbopelvic-hip variables during takeoff and landing may elucidate contributing factors to distal overuse injuries.