Gender differences in the Achilles tendon load during the fencing lunge

• Authors: Jonathan Kenneth Sinclair , Lindsay Bottoms
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Background: Recent epidemiological analyses in fencing have shown that injuries and pain linked specifically to fencing training/competition were evident in 92.8% of fencers. Specifically the prevalence of Achilles tendon pathology has increased substantially in recent years, and males have been identified as being at greater risk of Achilles tendon injury compared to their female counterparts. This study aimed to examine gender differences in Achilles tendon loading during the fencing lunge. Material/Methods: Achilles tendon load was obtained from eight male and eight female club level epee fencers using a 3D motion capture system and force platform information as they completed simulated lunges. Independent t-tests were performed on the data to determine whether differences existed. Results: The results show that males were associated with significantly greater Achilles tendon loading rates in comparison to females. Conclusions: This suggests that male fencers may be at greater risk from Achilles tendon pathology as a function of fencing training/ competition.

Keywords

EN

fencing; injury; Achilles tendon

• Publisher: Versita
• Journal: Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 199-204

Dates

published

1 - 10 - 2014

received

1 - 11 - 2013

accepted

1 - 8 - 2014

online

15 - 11 - 2014

Contributors

author

Jonathan Kenneth Sinclair

• Division of Sport Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, UK

author

Lindsay Bottoms

• School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, University of East London, UK

References

• 1. Harmer PA. Getting to the point: injury patterns and medical care in competitive fencing. Curr Sp Med Reports. 2008;7:303-307.[WoS][Crossref]
• 2. Sinclair J, Bottoms L, Taylor K, Greenhalgh A. Tibial shock measured during the fencing lunge, the influence of footwear. Sp Biomech. 2010;9:65-71.[PubMed]
• 3. Greenhalgh A, Bottoms L, Sinclair J. Influence of surface conditions on impact shock experienced during a fencing lunge. J App Biomech. 2013;29:463-467.
• 4. Selvanetti ACM, Puddu G. Overuse tendon injuries: basic science and classification. Op Tech Sp Med. 1997;5:110-17.[Crossref]
• 5. Kraemer R, Wuerfel W, Lorenzen J, Busche M, Vogt PM, Knobloch K. Analysis of hereditary and medical risk factors in Achilles tendinopathy and Achilles tendon ruptures: a matched pair analysis. Arch Orthop Traum Su. 2012;132:847-853.[WoS][Crossref]
• 6. Ribbans WJ, Collins M. Pathology of the tendo Achillis: Do our genes contribute? The Bone & Joint Journal. 2013;95:305-313.[WoS]
• 7. Hess GW. Achilles tendon rupture: a review of etiology, population, anatomy, risk factors, and injury prevention. Foot Ankle Spe. 2010;3:29-32.[Crossref]
• 8. Vosseller JT, Ellis SJ, Levine DS, et al. Achilles Tendon Rupture in Women. Foot Ankle Int. 2013;34:49-53.[PubMed]
• 9. Sinclair J, Greenhalgh A, Edmundson CJ, Brooks D, Hobbs SJ. The efficacy of barefoot and shod running and shoes designed to mimic barefoot running. Footwear Sci. 2013;5:45-53.[Crossref]
• 10. Cappozzo A, Catani F, Leardini A, Benedeti MG, Della CU. Position and orientation in space of bones during movement: Anatomical frame definition and determination. Clin Biomech. 1995;10:171-178.[Crossref]
• 11. Cappozzo A, Cappello A, Croce U, Pensalfini F. Surface-marker cluster design criteria for 3-D bone movement reconstruction. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 1997;44:1165-1174.[PubMed]
• 12. Kulmala JP, Avela J, Pasanen K, Parkkari J. Forefoot strikers exhibit lower running-induced knee loading than rearfoot strikers. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2013; 45: 2306-2313.[PubMed][Crossref][WoS]
• 13. Self BP, Paine D. Ankle biomechanics during four landing techniques. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2011; 33: 1338-1344.
• 14. Selvanetti A, Cipolla M, Puddu G. Overuse tendon injuries: basic science and classification. Oper Techn Sport Med, 1997; 5: 110-117.[Crossref]
• 15. Sinclair J. Effects of barefoot and barefoot inspired footwear on knee and ankle loading during running. Clin. Biomech, 2014;29:395-399.[WoS][Crossref]
• 16. Magnusson SP, Langberg H, Kjaer M. The pathogenesis of tendinopathy: balancing the response to loading. Nat Rev Rheuma, 2010;6:262-268.[WoS][Crossref]
• 17. Kirkendall DT, Garrett WE. Function and biomechanics of tendons. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1997;7:62-66.[PubMed]
• 18. Miller BF, Hansen M, Olesen JL, et al. Tendon collagen synthesis at rest and after exercise in women. J Appl Physiol. 2007;102:541-546.[PubMed]
• 19. Moore JS. Function, structure, and responses of components of the muscle-tendon unit. Occup Med. 1992;7:713-740.[PubMed]
• 20. Westh E, Kongsgaard M, Bojsen-Moller J, et al. Effect of habitual exercise on the structural and mechanical properties of the human tendon, in vivo, in men and women. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2008;18:23-30.[PubMed]
• 21. Wearing SC, Grigg NL, Hooper SL, Smeathers JE. Conditioning of the Achilles tendon via ankle exercise improves correlations between sonographic measures of tendon thickness and body anthropometry. J App Physiol. 2011;110:1384-1389. [WoS][PubMed]

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/bjha-2014-0018