1979 Volume 10 Pages 69-73
The purpose of this study was to ascertain the angle of the hip joint where the subject can exert maximum effort while performing knee extension. Eight normal subjects (three men and five woman) were tested for maximum isokinetic contraction of right knee extensor muscles while their hips were at angles of zero and ninety degrees. The subject was positioned on the table in supine and sitting, with legs hanging over edge of the table and the hands grasping the table edge. In utilizing the Cybex, the isokinitic torque was recorded for each position at velocities of three, nine and fifteen revolutions per minute. At each of three speeds, no significant difference in peak torque of knee extension was found between the hip angles of zero and ninety degrees. Therefore, the hip extention position did not facilitate the force that can be generated by the rectus femoris. In supine, the peak torque value elicited at velocities of nine revolutions per minute was significantly smaller than of three revolutions per minute. On the other hand, in sitting, the peak torque value elicited at velocities of fifteen revolutions per minute was significantly smaller than that of nine revolutions per minute.
