The Effect of Band Loop on Kinematic and Electromyography of Lower Extremities during Pedaling with Ergometer in Male Students with Genuvarum: A Descriptive Study

Change in the lower extremity alignments in the frontal plane and muscle activation patterns during pedaling is associated with patellofemoral pain (PFP) and iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of band loop on kinematic and electromyography of lower extremities during pedaling.

In this descriptive study, Kinematic information of the lower extremity and the electromyographic activity of muscles of 30 male students (normal=15, Genuvarum (GV)=15) in the Movafaghian Clinic in Tehran were recorded during pedaling with and without band loop in 10 pedaling cycles of last 30 seconds. Independent t-test and paired t-test were used to analyze the data.

The results showed a significant difference in the gluteus medius (Gmed) muscle activation (p=0.001) and Gmed/tensor fasciae latae (TFL) activity ratio in both groups (normal p= 0.042, GV p= 0.045), onset of TFL (p=0.007) and offset of Gmed activity (p=0.018) in the normal group, and the onset of Gmed muscle (p=0.048), offset of Gmed (p=0.047) and mean knee abduction angle (p=0.047) in the GV group. Also, the results showed a significant difference in TFL activation with and without the loop across the two groups (with loop p= 0.001, without loop p= 0.003) and the mean (p=0.021) and maximum knee abduction angle (p=0.027) without loop between the two groups.

Pedaling with loop band can be an effective method to increase the function and activation of Gmed muscle while decreasing TFL, improving knee kinematics in the frontal plane and knee stability to prevent injury in the normal and GV groups.