Relationship between Attenuation of Impact Shock at High Frequency and Flexion-Extension of the Lower Extremity Joints during Downhill Running

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the interrelationship between ranges of motion ofthe knee and ankle joints on the sagittal plane and the attenuation magnitude of impact shock at highfrequency (9~20 Hz) in the support phase during downhill running.Method: Fifteen male heel-toe runners with no history of lower extremity injuries were recruited for thisstudy (age, 25.07 ± 5.35 years; height, 175.4 ± 4.6 cm; mass, 75.8 ± .70 kg). Two uniaxial accelerometers weremounted to the tuberosity of tibia and sacrum, respectively, to measure acceleration signals. The participantswere asked to run at their preferred running speed on a treadmill set at 0°, 7°, and 15° downhill. Sixoptical cameras were placed around the treadmill to capture the coordinates of the joints of the lowerextremities. The power spectrum densities of the two acceleration signals were analyzed and used in thetransfer function describing the gain and attenuation of impact shock between the tibia and the sacrum.Angles of the knee and ankle joints on the sagittal plane and their angle ranges were calculated. ThePearson correlation coefficient was used to test the relationship between two variables, the magnitude ofimpact shock, and the range of joint angle under three downhill conditions. The alpha level was set at .05.Results: Close correlations were observed between the knee joint range of motion and the attenuationmagnitude of impact shock regardless of running slopes (p<.05), and positive correlations were foundbetween the ranges of motion of the knee and ankle joints and the attenuation magnitude of impact shockin 15° downhill running (p<.05).Conclusion: In conclusion, increased knee flexion might be required to attenuate impact shock duringdownhill and level running through change in stride or cadence while maintaining stability, and strongand flexible ankle joints are also needed in steeper downhill running.