Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Department of Pathology and Sport Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of changes in pedal width (Q Factor) on knee frontal plane kinematics in cyclists with different Q angles. Three groups of 8 road cyclists (1- Low Q angle, 2- Normal Q angle and 3- High Q angle) cycled in four different pedal widths of 16, 19, 22 and 25 cm. The variables of maximum abduction, maximum adduction, range of motion and mean abduction/adduction angle of the knee joint during cycling were calculated. The results showed that there was significant difference between group 1 and group 3 in the variables of maximum, minimum and mean abduction angle of the knee joint. Also, the effect of changing in the Q Factor was significant on the variables of maximum, minimum and mean abduction of the knee joint. in all variables, the interaction effect between inter-group and between-group factor was not significant. The results of the present study showed that the difference in the Q angle of individuals and also the increase in pedal width affect the frontal plane knee joint kinematics; Therefore, in choosing the appropriate pedal width for cyclists, the difference in their Q angle should be considered.
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