Presenter: Varneet Brar
Faculty Mentor: Li-Shan Chou, JJ Hannigan
Presentation Type: Poster 80
Primary Research Area: Science
Major: Human Physiology
Achilles tendinopathy (AT) and medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) are two common overuse injuries prevalent in the running population (Gallo et al, 2012). Susceptibility to such injuries may arise from training errors, but biomechanical and structural asymmetries may also be contributing factors (Zifchock, 2008). The purpose of this study was to compare static and dynamic asymmetries between injured (AT and MTSS) and healthy runners. 12 AT and 9 MTSS injured subjects and 21 matched, healthy, uninjured subjects running at least 20 miles per week participated in the study. Dynamic ankle range of motion (ROM) was collected as subjects ran continuous laps in the UO Motion Analysis Laboratory using a 10 camera motion capture system. Static flexibility and ROM measures of the lower extremity were gathered by a trained clinician using a goniometer. Asymmetry between limbs for both running and clinical measures was then calculated using an established method: the symmetry index (SI). An independent samples t-test calculated differences between the symmetry indices of injured and control subjects, p < .05. A significant difference between AT and matched controls was seen for ankle dorsiflexion (p = 0.041). Subtalar eversion (p=0.052) also trended towards significance. In both measures, there was greater asymmetry in the injured population. No additional significant differences were found. Future studies should evaluate the efficacy of corrections to these asymmetries in runners with AT.