Differences in Hip and Knee Running Moments across Female Pubertal Development

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Pediatric Physiology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Running mechanics are crucial for athletic performance and injury prevention.
• Pubertal development significantly alters musculoskeletal structure and function.
• Understanding sex-specific biomechanical changes during puberty is vital for identifying injury risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in knee and hip running moments across female pubertal development stages.
• To analyze external peak moments for knee abduction, adduction, flexion, and internal rotation.
• To examine hip adduction and flexion moments relative to peak knee moments.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 91 girls across three pubertal stages (prepubertal, early/midpubertal, late/postpubertal).
• Analysis of barefoot running kinematics, focusing on external peak knee and hip moments.
• Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVAs and ANCOVAs to compare between groups.

Main Results:

• Late pubertal girls had higher peak knee flexion (KFM) and knee adduction moments (KAM) than prepubertal girls.
• Early/midpubertal girls also showed higher peak KFM than prepubertal girls.
• Both early/midpubertal and late/postpubertal girls exhibited lower hip adduction moments and late pubertal girls had lower hip flexion moments.

Conclusions:

• Female pubertal stages are associated with distinct knee and hip running kinetics.
• Increased knee flexion and adduction moments in later puberty may relate to altered hip mechanics.
• These biomechanical shifts warrant further investigation for their role in knee injuries like patellofemoral pain syndrome.