Elsevier

Gait & Posture

Volume 31, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 279-283
Gait & Posture

Changes in hip joint muscle–tendon lengths with mode of locomotion

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2009.11.005Get rights and content

Abstract

We have reported that peak hip extension is nearly identical in walking and running, suggesting that anatomical constraints, such as flexor muscle tightness may limit the range of hip extension. To obtain a more mechanistic insight into mobility at the hip and pelvis we examined the lengths of the muscle–tendons units crossing the hip joint. Data defining the three-dimensional kinematics of 26 healthy runners at self-selected walking and running speeds were obtained. These data were used to scale and drive musculoskeletal models using OpenSIM. Muscle–tendon unit (MTU) lengths were calculated for the trailing limb illiacus, rectus femoris, gluteus maximus, and biceps femoris long head and the advancing limb biceps femoris and gluteus maximus. The magnitude and timing of MTU length peaks were each compared between walking and running. The peak length of the right (trailing limb) illiacus MTU, a pure hip flexor, was nearly identical between walking and running, while the maximum length of the rectus femoris MTU, a hip flexor and knee extensor, increased during running. The maximum length of the left (leading limb) biceps femoris was also unchanged between walking and running. Further, the timing of peak illiacus MTU length and peak contralateral biceps femoris MTU length occurred essentially simultaneously during running, at a time during gait when the hamstrings are most vulnerable to stretch injury. This latter finding suggests exploring the role for hip flexor stretching in combination with hamstring stretching to treat and/or prevent running related hamstring injury.

Introduction

Limited hip extension mobility, due to tight hip flexor muscles or to hip joint capsule structures, has been implicated as a possible cause of increased anterior pelvic tilt in people with a variety of disabilities [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]. More specifically, to maintain or increase stride length in the presence of limited hip extension mobility, many have observed a compensatory increase in anterior pelvic tilt. A similar phenomenon may be occurring in healthy runners. We have shown that peak hip extension is not much greater in running as compared to walking suggesting that anatomical features limit the maximum range of hip extension during running [6]. A limitation in hip extension range during running may be clinically significant insofar as it relates to increased anterior pelvic tilt which has been associated with running related low back injury [7], [8]. With increasing walking and running velocities both peak anterior pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis are increased [9], [10].

Although it might be expected that peak muscle–tendon lengths generally would be greater in running compared to walking, our findings suggest that this may not be the case for hip flexors. We speculate that the hip flexor muscle–tendon unit (MTU) lengths are not significantly different between walking and running, implicating muscle tightness as the restrictor of hip extension. Tightness in single-joint and/or two-joint hip flexor muscles could contribute to a limit in hip extension during gait and increase the rigidity of the pelvic complex.

Peak hamstring muscle stretch is independent of speed in sprinting [11], [12] and hip flexors have been shown to induce hamstring stretch in the opposite limb [13]. Thus, if hip flexor muscle length is anatomically restricted, the restriction might impose strain on the hamstring muscles as well as on the low back structures. We were interested in knowing if peak illiacus muscle length occurs at or near the time that the hamstrings of the opposite extremity are at their maximum length. Synchronicity of these events would be consistent with the concept of tight hip flexors contributing to hamstring stretch. While a musculoskeletal model study cannot prove causality, it should provide new biomechanical insight that ultimately could inform the development of treatment approaches, such as focused illiacus stretching exercises, that might help prevent some of the low back pain and hamstring injuries that occur with running.

Section snippets

Subjects

Twenty-six healthy runners (13 female) were recruited from the local population. The subjects described their running as recreational, running a minimum of 15 miles each week. Subjects had no history of musculoskeletal pathology and were without a running related injury at the time of testing. Analysis of the data revealed no gender differences in any of the examined measures. The average subject age (±standard deviation) was 36 ± 13 y; height, 1.72 ± 0.08 m; mass, 65.3 ± 10.1 kg. The Institutional

Kinematics

The group average walking velocity was 1.28 m/s and the comfortable running velocity was 3.16 m/s (Table 1). The small increase in peak hip extension for the running condition was not statistically or functionally significant (Table 2). The hip flexion/extension and pelvic tilt ranges of motion increased significantly for running compared to walking. Both the peak anterior pelvic tilt and the anterior pelvic tilt at the time of peak hip extension increased significantly for running.

Muscle–tendon lengths

The length

Discussion

As hypothesized, the maximum length of the illiacus muscle–tendon complex did not increase during running as compared to walking at self-selected speeds. The minimum length of the antagonist hip extensor, the gluteus maximus is also similar for walking and running. Although the total excursion of these MTUs increased during running, this change was due exclusively to an increased shortening of the illiacus MTU and increased lengthening of the gluteus maximus MTU during hip flexion. The

Acknowledgement

This project was funded by a grant from Brooks Sports, Incorporated.
Conflict of interest

The authors confirm that there are no conflicts of interest.

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