Muscle Synergies During a Single-Leg Drop-Landing in Boys and Girls

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

7 p.

Publication Date

4-2014

Publisher

Human Kinetics

Source Publication

Journal of Applied Biomechanics

Source ISSN

1065-8483

Original Item ID

doi: 10.1123/jab.2012-0193

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate muscle activation patterns during a landing task in boys and girls through the use of muscle synergies. Electromyographical data from six lower extremity muscles were collected from 11 boys and 16 girls while they performed single-leg drop-landings. Electromyographical data from six leg muscles were rectified, smoothed, and normalized to maximum dynamic muscle activity during landing. Data from 100 ms before to 100 ms after touchdown were submitted to factor analyses to extract muscle synergies along with the associated activation and weighing coefficients. Boys and girls both used three muscle synergies. The activation coefficients of these synergies captured muscle activity during the prelanding, touchdown, and postlanding phases of the single-leg drop-landing. Analysis of the weighing coefficients indicated that within the extracted muscle synergies the girls emphasized activation of the medial hamstring muscle during the prelanding and touchdown synergy whereas boys emphasized activation of the vastus medialis during the postlanding synergy. Although boys and girls use similar muscle synergies during single-leg drop-landings, they differed in which muscles were emphasized within these synergies. The observed differences in aspects related to the muscle synergies during landing may have implications with respect to knee injury risk.

Comments

Journal of Applied Biomechanics, Vol. 30, No. 2 (April 2014): 262-268. DOI.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS