Can a Single-Leg Squat Provide Insight Into Movement Control and Loading During Dynamic Sporting Actions in Patients With Athletic Groin Pain?

CONTEXT: Chronic athletic groin pain (AGP) is common in field sports and has been associated with abnormal movement control and loading of the hip and pelvis during play. A single-leg squat (SLS) is commonly used by clinicians to assess movement control, but whether it can provide insight into control during more dynamic sporting movements in AGP patients is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the relationships between biomechanical measures in an SLS and the same measures in a single-leg drop landing, single-leg hurdle hop, and a cutting maneuver in AGP patients.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Biomechanics laboratory.

PATIENTS: 40 recreational field-sports players diagnosed with AGP.

INTERVENTION: A biomechanical analysis of each individual's SLS, drop landing, hurdle hop, and cut was undertaken.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hip, knee, and pelvis angular displacement and hip and knee peak moments. Pearson product-moment correlations were used to examine relationships between SLS measures and equivalent measures in the other movements.

RESULTS

There were no significant correlations between any hip or pelvis measure in the SLS with the same measures in the drop landing, hurdle hop, or cut (r = .03-.43, P > .05). Knee frontal- and transverse-plane angular displacement were related in the SLS and drop landing only, while knee moments were related in the SLS, drop-landing, and hurdle hop (r = .50-.67, P < .05).

CONCLUSION

For AGP patients, an SLS did not provide meaningful insight into hip and pelvis control or loading during sporting movements that are associated with injury development. The usefulness of an SLS test in the assessment of movement control and loading in AGP patients is thus limited. The SLS provided moderate insight into knee control while landing and therefore may be of use in the examination of knee-injury risk.