Highlights
- •Regardless of condition, GMed activity dominated TFL activity in CLAM and ABD.
- •GMed-to-TFL ratio was far greater for CLAM than for ABD.
- •CLAM is preferred over ABD when minimal TFL activity is desired by the clinician.
Abstract
Background
Improving activity and strength of the gluteus medius muscle is a common goal among
clinicians aiming to rehabilitate lower extremity and low back injuries. The functional
anatomy of the hip is complex, particularly how position-dependent the activity and
strength of many muscles surrounding the hip are, and the optimal exercise technique
to isolate gluteus medius remains controversial. The objective of this study was to
quantify the effect of altering hip orientation during side-lying clamshell and hip
abduction exercises on the relative muscle activation profiles of gluteus medius and
tensor fascae latae.
Methods
The ratio of gluteus-medius-to-tensor-fascae-latae peak electromyography signal amplitude
of 13 healthy, male participants was compared across variations of the clamshell and
abduction exercises. The hip flexion angle was varied from 30°, 45°, and 60° for the
clamshell, while hip rotation orientation was varied from internal, neutral, and external
rotation for the abduction exercise.
Findings
Varying hip angle – flexion in the clamshell exercise and internal/external rotation
in the abduction exercise – did not significantly affect the interplay between gluteus
medius and tensor fascae latae activation levels. Both exercises remained gluteus
medius-dominant across all variations, but the gluteus-medius-to-tensor-fascae-latae
ratio was far greater for the clamshell than for the abduction exercise; the clamshell
may be the preferred rehabilitative exercise to prescribe when minimal tensor fascae
latae muscle activation is desired by the clinician.
Interpretation
These findings provide information for clinical decision-making pertaining to effective
gluteus medius activation in lower extremity and low back exercise rehabilitation
programs.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 10, 2014
Accepted:
September 1,
2014
Received:
August 16,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
