Effect of knee brace and lateral wedge on muscular activity amplitude during running in male soccer players with genu varus

Genu varus is a deformity in frontal plane that in weight bearing position whiles the medial malleolus’s touch each other, the medial knee epicondyles far from each other. Genu varus is very prevalent in soccer players. This study was done to evaluate the effect of using knee brace and lateral wedge on muscular activity amplitude in male soccer players with genu varus during running.

This quasi-experimental study was done on 15 right-footed male soccer players with genu varus and 15 healthy soccer players. A wireless electromyography system with eight pairs of bipolar Ag/AgCl surface electrodes (20 mm center-to-center distance; input impedance of 100 MΩ; and common-mode rejection ratio of >110 dB) was used to record the activity of the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius medialis, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris, and gluteus medius muscles of the right leg. Electromyography data were recorded by sampling rate of 1000 Hz in selected muscles during running at five conditions including: control, 10 degrees lateral wedge, 15 degrees lateral wedge, simultaneous using 30 degrees brace and 10 degrees lateral wedge, and simultaneous using 30 degree brace and 15 degrees lateral wedge.

Treatment intervention had reduction effect on muscular amplitude of biceps femoris and vastus lateralis during push-off phase (P<0.05). Muscular amplitude of biceps femoris and vastus lateralis during loading phase was reduced due to Treatment intervention (P<0.05).

Simultaneous using of lateral wedge and knee brace reduce the electromyography activity of vastus lateralis and biceps femoris muscles. This reduction may be associated with passive support of knee brace that in result could decrease the external knee adductor mowment.