Research describing pelvifemoral rhythm: a systematic review.
Richard W Bohannon, Aaron Bass
PMID 29200653WHAT IT FOUND
Lifting the thigh in hip flexion was accompanied by backward pelvic tilt in nine studies of mostly healthy young adults, contributing 13.1% to 37.5% of motion.
The tilt began early and tracked closely with thigh movement.
Key findings
01Pelvic tilt contributed 13.1% to 37.5% of total hip flexion across the included studies.
02Pelvic tilt began almost as soon as hip flexion and was highly correlated with hip flexion, with correlations from 0.89 to 1.00.
03Pelvic tilt tended to make a greater contribution when the knee was extended rather than flexed and when the hamstrings were shorter rather than longer.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The included studies had small samples, with sample sizes of 11 to 31 participants. Most participants were healthy young adults, and only one article included individuals with femoroacetabular impingement. The review did not include older adults or people with hip or lumbar spine problems, stroke, or athlete-specific tasks. The tasks were heterogeneous: studies varied in posture, active or passive movement, unilateral or bilateral movement, knee position, and loading. The review excluded walking, climbing, and kicking, so it does not describe pelvifemoral rhythm during those complex activities. Surface markers were used in all but one study, and no study marked both sides of the pelvis. Heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis. Quality scores ranged from 10 to 14 out of 16, and the most common shortcoming was failure to clarify enrollment specifics. The search was limited, as possible, to English-language articles and adults.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 13.1% to 37.5% pelvic tilt contribution as evidence that pelvic motion is abnormal or that a treatment should reduce it. The review describes mostly healthy young adults during simple hip flexion, and it did not test any intervention.