3 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Participants will completed a 5 minute warm-up on a stationary bike. Next, participants will perform 3 practice trials of the double leg jump landing (DJL) test off of a 30 cm box. In order for the trial to count the participants need to maintain their landing posture for at least 2 seconds, if they are unable to do so the trial will be repeated. After the completion of three practice trials of the DJL test, the first taping condition will be applied. Each participant will receive 3 taping conditions to the dominant leg, a gluteus medius facilitation (GM), a spiral technique (ST), and no tape (NT). The order of conditions will be randomized. The use of a no tape condition will act a control for both the jumping protocol and the Y-balance test. For this condition, no tape or intervention of any kind will be applied to the subject before completing either tasks. Regardless of the order of randomly assigned taping condition, the participant will rest 10 minutes in a non-weight bearing position before completing a round of testing. During the 10-minute rest, 3D motion analysis sensors will be placed on the participant to assess hip internal rotation and knee valgus in the frontal plane. After the sensors are applied, the first follow-up Y Balance Test will be completed. Each participant will complete the Y Balance Test 3 times, once for each condition. For the trial to count, the reach foot is not permitted to touch the floor and the hands have to remain stationary on the pelvis. If the participant fails to meet the testing criteria, the trial will be repeated. At the end of the trial, each testing direction distance will be written down and a mean score will be calculated. Following the first Y balance test, three DJL tests will be performed, each separated by a 60-second rest period. Once the participant completes 3 approved trials, the first taping condition will be removed and the procedure will be repeated for the second and third taping procedures.
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effects of different exercises programs in individuals with abnormal knee motion. The main question it aims to answer are: * In individuals with abnormal knee motion and without knee pain, does a weight-bearing exercise program reduce abnormal knee motion during a step-down test better than a non weight-bearing exercise program? Participants will * Perform a stepdown test while undergoing motion analysis and electromyograph (EMG) recording. * Participants will then be placed either into a weight-bearing or non weight-bearing exercise group. Exercises will be performed 3 times per week for 6 weeks. * Further motion analysis and EMG data will be collected to test for differences. Researchers will compare individual results before and after exercise, and between-group results before and after exercise to see if one exercise program helps improved abnormal knee motion more than the other.
Evidence supports the use of two dimensional video analysis to assess the presence of dynamic knee valgus during generally used screening tasks, however there is limited evidence to support the use of the various smart phone applications as a time and money saving option for clinic use . Subjects that present to the clinic and display dynamic valgus at the knee during the lateral step down test will be given the option to participate in the study. If they consent to the study they will be evaluated with 2-Dimensional video analysis to determine the amount of valgus present at the knee during the lateral step down test. The subject will also have the smart phone attached to their lower leg and the amount of valgus will be concurrently measured by the selected application. The primary objective of this study is to determine the validity of an application on the smart phone to provide an objective measure of dynamic knee valgus. The secondary objective of this study is to determine the possibility of the use of the application as a source of feedback during neuromuscular re-education training in order to decrease or eliminate a subject's dynamic valgus collapse and subsequently decreased their risk for future injury.