Effect of different pelvic-drop exercises on muscle activity in patients with gluteus medius muscle weakness

Research Objectives: To determine the effects of pelvic-drop exercise with three different hip rotations on gluteus medius, tensor fasciae latae, gluteus maximus activity, and gluteus medius:tensor fasciae latae activity ratio in patients with gluteus medius weakness.

Design: Cross-sectional study. The effects of different hip rotation positions on hip abductor activity during pelvic-drop exercise were analyzed using a one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance.

Setting: university research laboratory

Participants: Eighteen patients with gluteus medius weakness participated in the study.

Interventions: The patients performed three different forms of pelvic-drop exercise with neutral hip, hip internal rotation, and hip external rotation.

Main Outcome Measures: Surface electromyography was performed to quantify the activity of gluteus medius, tensor fasciae latae, and gluteus maximus.

Results: Pelvic-drop exercise with hip internal rotation showed significantly greater gluteus medius activity than pelvic-drop exercise with neutral hip and hip external rotation. Tensor fasciae latae also showed significantly greater activity during pelvic-drop exercise with hip internal rotation than pelvic-drop exercise with neutral hip.

Conclusions: Pelvic-drop exercise with hip internal rotation is recommended to stimulate greater gluteus medius activity while preserving gluteus medius:tensor fasciae latae muscle activity ratio.

Author(s) Disclosures: The authors declare no conflict of interest.