Hip motor control training did not improve muscle performance during jump landing in young dancers with recent ankle-foot injury

Abstract

Dance is a unique combination of athleticism and artistry which exposes dancers to extreme physical demands and risks of injuries. Previous studies showed that hip muscle training improved lower extremity neuromuscular control in patients with ankle instability. However, few studies investigated the effectiveness of hip control training in dancers with ankle-foot injury. Therefore, aim of this study was to determine whether hip control training could improve muscle performance in dancers with ankle-foot injury. Thirty-three young dancers with ankle-foot injury within 6 months were recruited. Participants were randomized to the hip motor control training group (3 males and 13 females, 19.24 ± 3.03 years old, n = 16) or the control group (4 males and 13 females, 19.45 ± 1.41 years old, n = 17) and received hip motor control training or regular training for 4 weeks. The outcome measurement included compensated turnout, muscle activation (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, biceps femoris, femoris rectus, tibialis anterior, peroneal longus and soleus) during jump landing, and lower extremity muscle length and muscle strength. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine the intervention effect. A statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. After four weeks of training, the hip motor control training group did not show significant improvement in the compensated turnout angle or muscle activation during jump landing except the affected side rectus femoris (50.13 ± 14.88 vs. 51.52 ± 10.16, P = 0.026) as compared to the control group. The 4-week hip training program however improved lower extremity muscle strength including both affected and non-affected side hip muscle strength and ankle dorsiflexion strength, and non-affected side knee flexion and ankle eversion and inversion strength. Hip motor control training improved lower extremity muscle strength, but its effect on lower extremity muscle activation or turnout angle requires further research to clarify.