N suggested to contribute to the etiology of lower extremity injuries, particularly in females. This prospective study compares core stability measures between genders and between athletes who reported an injury during their season versus those who did not. Finally, we looked for one or a combination of these strength measures that could be used to identify athletes at risk for lower extremity injury. Methods: Before their season, 80 female (mean age = 19.1 ± 1.37 yr, mean weight 65.1 ± 10.0 kg) and 60 male (mean age = 19.0 ± 0.90 yr, mean weight 78.8 ± 13.3 kg) intercollegiate basketball and track athletes were studied. Hip abduction and external rotation strength, abdominal muscle function, and back extensor and quadratus lumborum endurance was tested for each athlete. Results: Males produced greater hip abduction (males = 32.6 ± 7.3%BW, females = 29.2 ± 6.1%BW), hip external rotation (males = 21.6 ± 4.3%BW, females = 18.4 ± 4.1%BW), and quadratus lumborum measures (males = 84.3 ± 32.5 s, females = 58.9 ± 26.0 s). Athletes who did not sustain an injury were significantly stronger in hip abduction (males = 31.6 ± 7.1%BW, females = 28.6 ± 5.5%BW) and external rotation (males = 20.6 ± 4.2%BW, females = 17.9 ± 4.4%BW). Logistic regression analysis revealed that hip external rotation strength was the only useful predictor of injury status (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.77, 0.097). Conclusion: Core stability has an important role in injury prevention. Future study may reveal that differences in postural stability partially explain the gender bias among female athletes....

Cross-sectional. To determine if females with anterior knee pain are more likely to demonstrate hip abduction or external rotation weakness than a similar, asymptomatic, age-matched control group. Diminished hip strength has been implicated as being contributory to lower-extremity malalignment and patellofemoral pain. The identification of reliable and consistent patterns of weakness in this population may assist health care professionals establish a more effective treatment plan. Hip abduction and external rotation isometric strength measurements were recorded for the injured side of 15 female subjects with patellofemoral joint pain (mean +/- SD age, 15.7 +/- 2.7 years; age range, 12-21 years). These were compared with strength measurements from the corresponding hip of 15 age-matched female control subjects (mean +/- SD age, 15.7 +/- 2.7 years; age range, 12-21 years). All strength measurements were made using hand-held dynamometers. Subjects with patellofemoral pain demonstrated 26% less hip abduction strength (P<.001) and 36% less hip external rotation strength (P<.001) than similar age-matched controls. The results indicate that young women with patellofemoral pain are more likely to demonstrate weakness in hip abduction as well as external rotation than age-matched women who are not symptomatic.

Core stability may provide several benefits to the musculoskeletal system, from maintaining low back health to preventing knee ligament injury. As a result, the acquisition and maintenance of core stability is of great interest to physical therapists, athletic trainers, and musculoskeletal r

Hletes; second, to compare the strength of muscle groups in the trunk, hips, and knees between these individuals; and third, to evaluate the association between trunk, hip, and knee strength and the orientation of the knee joint during this activity. Methods: Twenty-four male and 22 female athletes participated in this study. Peak isometric torque was determined for the following muscle actions: trunk flexion, extension, and lateral flexion, hip abduction and external rotation, and knee flexion and extension. The frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) of the knee during a 45° SL squat was determined using photo editing software. Results: Males and females moved in opposite directions during the SL squat test (F(1,42) = 5.05, P = 0.03). Females typically moved toward more extreme FPPA during SL squats (P = 0.056), while males tended to move toward more neutral alignment (P = 0.066). Females also generated less torque in all muscle groups, with the exception of trunk extension. The projection angle of the knee during the SL squat test was most closely associated with hip external rotation strength. Conclusion: Using instruments suitable for a clinical setting, females were found to have greater FPPA and generally decreased trunk, hip, and knee isometric torque. Hip external rotation strength was most closely associated with the frontal plane projection angle....

The 3rd International Patellofemoral Research Retreat was held in Vancouver, Canada, in September 2013, for 3 days: from 18 September to 21 September. After peer-review for scientific merit and relevance to the retreat, 58 abstracts were accepted for the retreat (39 podiums, 8 posters and 11 thematic posters). The podium and poster presentations were grouped into three categories: (1) natural history of PFP and local factors that influence PFP, (2) trunk and distal factors that influence PFP and (3) innovations in rehabilitation of PFP. Presentations in the Natural history and local factors category focused on the prevalence of PFP in different age groups, the relationship between PFP and patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) and the contribution of surrounding tissues to PFP. Presentations in the Trunk and distal factors category focused on understanding how different factors from different regions (trunk, pelvis, hip and foot and ankle) may contribute to PFJ dysfunction. Presentations in the Innovation in rehabilitation category were dedicated to evaluating outcomes of new treatment options for PFP.