ANKLE KINEMATICS DURING FORWARD HOCKEY SKATING: ACCELERATION TO CONSTANT VELOCITY

Abstract

Kinematic measures of the foot and ankle are of relevance to footwear manufacturers and to rehabilitative professionals. Difficulties undertaking such measurements have been summarized previously (Milani & Hennig, 2000). This paper presents the kinematic profile of the ankle in both sagittal (plantar dorsi) and frontal (inversion eversion) planes. Penny & Giles electrogoniometers (Blackwood, UK / Biometrics Ltd.) collected data from 5 elite subjects at 1000 Hz. Similar kinematic profiles were observed between 3 accelerating strides and constant velocity strides. Despite the absence of significant differences between strides there was a trend for increased range of motion at the ankle as the skaters accelerated to a high velocity.