Passive Hip Range-of-Motion Values Across Sex and Sport.

CONTEXT

Greater passive hip range of motion (ROM) has been associated with greater dynamic knee valgus and thus the potential for increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Normative data for passive hip ROM by sex are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To establish and compare passive hip ROM values by sex and sport and to quantify side-to-side differences in internal-rotation ROM (ROM), external-rotation ROM (ROM), and total ROM (ROM).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Station-based, preparticipation screening.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

A total of 339 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes, consisting of 168 women (age = 19.2 ± 1.2 years, height = 169.0 ± 7.2 cm, mass = 65.3 ± 10.2 kg) and 171 men (age = 19.4 ± 1.3 years, height = 200.0 ± 8.6 cm, mass = 78.4 ± 12.0 kg) in 6 sports screened over 3 years: soccer (58 women, 67 men), tennis (20 women, 22 men), basketball (28 women, 22 men), softball or baseball (38 women, 31 men), cross-country (18 women, 19 men), and golf (6 women, 10 men).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Passive hip ROM was measured with the athlete lying prone with the hip abducted to 20° to 30° and knee flexed to 90°. The leg was passively internally and externally rotated until the point of sacral movement. Three measures were averaged for each direction and leg and used for analysis. We compared ROM, ROM, ROM (ROM = ROM + ROM), and relative ROM (ROM = ROM - ROM) between sexes and among sports using separate 2 × 6 repeated-measures analyses of variance.

RESULTS

Women had greater ROM (38.1° ± 8.2° versus 28.6° ± 8.4°; F = 91.74, P < .001), ROM (72.1° ± 10.6° versus 64.4° ± 10.1°; F = 33.47, P < .001), and ROM (1.5° ± 16.0° versus -7.6° ± 16.5°; F = 37.05, P < .001) than men but similar ROM (34.0° ± 12.2° versus 35.8° ± 11.5°; F = 1.65, P = .20) to men. Cross-country athletes exhibited greater ROM (37.0° ± 9.3° versus 30.9° ± 9.4° to 33.3° ± 9.5°; P = .001) and ROM (5.9° ± 18.3° versus -9.6° ± 16.9° to -2.7° ± 17.3°; P = .001) and less ROM (25.7° ± 7.5° versus 35.0° ± 13.0° to 40.2° ± 12.0°; P < .001) than basketball, soccer, softball or baseball, and tennis athletes. They also displayed less ROM (62.7° ± 8.1° versus 70.0° ± 9.1° to 72.9° ± 11.9°; P < .001) than basketball, softball or baseball, and tennis athletes.

CONCLUSIONS

Women had greater ROM than men, resulting in greater ROM and ROM. Researchers should examine the extent to which this greater bias toward ROM may explain women's greater tendency for dynamic knee valgus. With the exception of cross-country, ROM values were similar across sports. The clinical implications of these aberrant cross-country values require further study.