Validity of functional movement tests in predicting the Trendelenburg gait pattern during running: A cross-sectional study

Introduction

Dropping the pelvic of the swinging leg or Trendelenburg sign during running is known as a biomechanical risk factor for lower extremity non-contact injuries. Numerous performance tests have been introduced to identify individuals who exhibit the Trendelenburg sign, including the single-leg squat (SLSQ), pelvic drop (PD), and single-leg stand (SLS) However, it is still unclear whether these tests are relevant for predicting the Trendelenburg sign during running.

Method

twelve males with Trendelenburg sign during running (age, 26.49 ± 4.46 years, weight, 78.15 ± 8.66 kg, height, 178.09 ± 6.76 cm) voluntarily participated in this research. The correlation between dropped pelvic and frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) during running was investigated with SLSQ, PD, and SLS functional tests.

Results

There was a significant relationship between dropped pelvic during running and the SLSQ test (p = 0.043, r = 0.570 [-0.91 to 0.840]). However, there was no statistical significance between SLS and PD tests and the Trendelenburg sign during running (p ≥ 0.05).

Conclusion

The findings suggest that the SLSQ test can be used as a simple and practical screening tool to identify individuals at risk of Trendelenburg gait during running, which may assist in injury prevention programs. Notably, the authors argue that the lack of correlation between other tasks is due to differences in the physical demands of the movements, which should be taken into account when selecting the appropriate test to assess movement performance.