Kinematic analysis of the gait in professional ballet dancers

Dynamic Gait Stability and Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters During Overground Walking in Professional Ballet Dancers

Introduction: It has been recognized that practicing ballet could strengthen the leg muscles, improve balance, and reduce fall risk. However, few studies have investigated how ballet practice alters a person's gait pattern, and this knowledge gap could present a barrier to designing ballet-based training programs. This study examined dynamic gait stability and spatiotemporal gait parameters among professional ballet dancers during normal level overground walking. Methods: Twenty young adults were recruited: 10 ballet dancers (24.5 ± 4.9 years) and 10 age- and sex-matched non-dancers (22.6 ± 3.4 years). Participants walked on a 10 m linear walkway at their self-selected speed. Dynamic gait stability and common gait parameters (step length, step width, gait speed, and cadence) were determined from the collected kinematic data and compared between groups with a significance level of .05. Results: The results showed that both groups displayed comparable dynamic gait stability at touchdown (P = .140) and liftoff (P = .638). However, ballet dancers walked with a longer (P = .054), narrower (P = .009), and faster step (P = .014) at a marginally quicker speed (P = .063) than non-dancers. Conclusion: Our study suggests that young professional ballet dancers have different gait patterns, but similar dynamic gait stability compared to non-dancers. These findings not only provide insight into the mechanisms of dynamic stability control among young ballet dancers during gait but expand our understanding of the control of dynamic gait balance of human locomotion across a wide variety of populations and walking conditions.

Evaluation of Professional Ballet Dancers Body Posture During Barre Movements

Ballet dancers have finite careers due to the demands placed upon their bodies throughout years of training, study, and performance. The average age a dancer retires is 34 due to persistent stress on their joints and injuries due to mechanical overload or overuse. Proper form is crucial to prevent injury. The aim of this study was to establish benchmarks for normal movement patterns among professional dancers. Ten professional ballerinas were studied. Reflective markers were placed on the pelvis, left and right anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS), and posterior iliac spine (PSIS) to evaluate motion during Barre movements: plié, grand battement, and développé. Pelvis flexion/extension, mediolateral rotation, and torsion were analyzed. These motions test different skills. The plié is a controlled coordinated motion using both legs. The grand battement and développé both require leg extension, one with a quick motion that creates momentum and one using controlled motion that requires strength. Each requires core and pelvis stability to perform accurately and with less injury. Dancers' motions were consistent. Maximum pelvis range of motion for the plié, grand battement, and développé were 8.0, 42, and 50 deg, respectively. This represents usable benchmarks with which other dancers may be compared, for example, those who are at different levels of training, injured, predisposed to injury, or recovering from injury. Early recognition of pathologic movement patterns could benefit professional and amateur dancers by helping to prevent injuries, and potentially improve the quality and length of their careers.

The envelope of active hip motion in different sporting, recreational, and daily-living activities: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

In treating patients with limitations of hip motion, it is generally assumed that correction of bony morphology will provide the patient with the joint motion required to resume their activities. However, the positions of impingement and the specific excursions of joint motion required by each sport may vary. This systematic review aimed to define the envelope of active hip joint motion for participation in different sporting, recreational, and daily-living activities.

METHODS

The EMBASE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases were searched to identify studies that reported kinematics of the hip in sporting, recreational, and daily-living activities. Inclusion criteria were (1) peer-reviewed articles reporting hip kinematics in a certain type of activity, and (2) presented in English. To synthesize the kinematic data, the peak values of kinematic components (i.e. flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, and internal/external rotation) during an activity, as well as the concurrent values in a certain phase of the activity were collected from each study.

RESULTS

A total of 67 studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 32 different types of activities. Seventeen activities required at least one component of supra-physiologic hip motion, however, there were eight different combinations of flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, and internal/external rotation observed. Specifically, three activities (sex, sitting cross-legged, and grand ecart lateral of ballet dancing) required simultaneous extreme degrees of all three components, five activities (arabesque, developpe devant right, and developpe a la seconde right of ballet dancing, picking up something, and taekwondo) required high degrees of two components, most commonly hip abduction combined with flexion or internal rotation.

SIGNIFICANCE

This review highlighted that many activities place supraphysiologic demands on hip joint motion, however, the kinematic components affected differ dramatically with the specific activity. This suggests that the demands of each patient's individual activities must be assessed before recommending or planning treatment rather than assuming that a fixed value of "normal" hip motion is applicable to all.

POSTURAL PROFILE OF CLASSICAL BALLERINAS FROM THE VALE DO SÃO FRANCISCO REGION OF BRAZIL

ABSTRACT Objective: The study aimed to determine the association between postural changes and practice of classical ballet among ballerinas from Integrated Administrative Region of Development (RIDE) in Polo Petrolina/PE and Juazeiro/BA. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study with 19 classical ballerinas aged over 15 years and at least 5 years of uninterrupted classical ballet practice. The anthropometric assessment included measurements of total body mass, height and body mass index (BMI). Postural evaluation was performed using the photogrammetric method with help of Posturograma(r) and SAPO(c) software. Results: The mean age was 25.3±11.7 years and the mean BMI was 21.4±2.9 kg/m². Approximately 74% of classical ballerinas had normal anthropometric profile. The postural profile of the classical ballerinas showed inclination and protrusion of the head, trunk rotation, rectification of cervical lordosis, increased thoracic kyphosis, increased lumbar lordosis, pelvic inclination and anteversion. Conclusion: The practice of ballet led to changes in body alignment of the classical ballerinas evaluated. The results points out to the need of postural re-education in order to contribute for the kinetic-functional balance of classical ballet practitioners.