Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-19-2022
Abstract
Background
The purpose of this study was to compare gait kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activation between pregnant females with high and low scores for low back and/or pelvic girdle pain during and after pregnancy.
Methods
Twenty participants tested during second trimester, third trimester, and again post-partum. At each session, motion capture, force plates, and surface electromyography data were captured during self-selected velocity over-ground walking. Participants completed the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS) and were assigned to high (QBPDS ≥15) or low pain groups (QBPDS
Findings
Nine participants met the high pain group criteria and 11 were low pain. During second trimester the high pain group compared to the low pain group demonstrated smaller peak hip flexor moments, total hip work, percent hip contribution to work, and larger percent ankle contribution to work. Pregnant females demonstrated greater hip, knee, and ankle moments, ankle work, and gluteus maximus muscle activation third trimester than second trimester.
Interpretation
Reduced hip and greater ankle contribution to work in the high pain group during second trimester could indicate decreased hip utilization early in pregnancy and may contribute to disability as pregnancy progresses. It is also possible kinetic differences during second trimester reflect an early strategy to reduce pain by avoiding hip joint loading. Increased moments and work during third trimester indicate a clinical imperative to better prepare pregnant females to accommodate increased joint loading and muscular demand.
Recommended Citation
Bagwell JJ, Reynolds N, Smith JA, et al. An exploratory analysis of gait biomechanics and muscle activation in pregnant females with high and low scores for low back or pelvic girdle pain during and after pregnancy. Clin Biomech. 2022;97:105705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2022.105705
Peer Reviewed
1
Copyright
Elsevier
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Biomechanics Commons, Maternal and Child Health Commons, Other Kinesiology Commons, Other Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons
Comments
NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Clinical Biomechanics. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Clinical Biomechanics, volume 97, in 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2022.105705
The Creative Commons license below applies only to this version of the article.