A biomechanical comparison in the lower limb and lumbar spine between a hit and drag flick in field hockey

ABSTRACT

Research has revealed that field hockey drag flickers have greater odds of hip and lumbar injuries compared to non-drag flickers (DF). This study aimed to compare the biomechanics of a field hockey hit and a specialised field hockey drag flick. Eighteen male and seven female specialised hockey DF performed a hit and a drag flick in a motion analysis laboratory with an 18-camera three-dimensional motion analysis system and a calibrated multichannel force platform to examine differences in lower limb and lumbar kinematics and kinetics. Results revealed that drag flicks were performed with more of a forward lunge on the left lower limb resulting in significantly greater left ankle dorsiflexion, knee, hip and lumbar flexion (Ps<0.001) compared to a hit. Drag flicks were also performed with significantly greater lateral flexion (P < 0.002) and rotation of the lumbar spine (P < 0.006) compared to a hit. Differences in kinematics lead to greater shear, compression and tensile forces in multiple left lower limb and lumbar joints in the drag flick compared to the hit (P < 0.05). The biomechanical differences in drag flicks compared to a hit may have ramifications with respect to injury in field hockey drag flickers.

KEYWORDS:

• Kinematics
• kinetics
• hip
• knee
• ankle

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of Hockey Australia for the permission to conduct this study, and Mr. Brendyn Appleby for his guidance and support. We would also like to acknowledge the assistance of biostatistician Professor Anne Smith for her statistical advice and Mr. Paul Davey for his expertise in data analyses.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.