Relationship between Trunk Stabilizer Muscle Strength and Frontal Hip and Knee Angles during Single-Leg Squat in Female Individuals

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate correlation between trunk stabilizer muscle strength and the frontal hip and knee angles during single-leg squat.

Method: Fifteen women (19-27 years old) participated in this study. All participants were right leg dominance. Trunk stabilizer muscle strength was measured. A Vicon™ Nexus system with 10 cameras were used to examine the frontal hip and knee angles. Single-leg squat test was used dominant leg. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to determine the correlation between the level of lumbar stabilization exercise and the frontal hip and knee angles. Besides, Pearson’s correlation was analyzed the correlation between trunk muscle strength which was measured by handheld dynamometer and the frontal hip and knee angles.

Results: Muscle strength of right external oblique abdominis showed a negatively significant correlation with the frontal hip angle (r = -0.61, p = 0.02). The level of lumbar stabilization exercise had no correlation with the frontal hip and knee angles.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that trunk stabilizer muscle strength associated with the frontal hip during single-leg squat. Further study should consider the effect of trunk stabilizer muscle on lower extremity biomechanics.