HIGHER JOINT LOADING DUE TO INCREASED JOINT ANGLES IN PROFESSIONAL COMPARED TO NOVICE LATIN DANCERS

Abstract

Dancing is an increasingly popular competitive and recreational sport with high injury potential: In a study among dancers competing at international level, 69 % reported injuries within 12 months. The most common sites of injuries and pain are the neck, lower back and lower extremities. The majority of dancers do not include any supplementary training apart of dancing. Latin American Dancing is usually practiced in high-heeled shoes and with a specific technique. In order to gain insights for injury prevention, the influence of two important factors - footwear and level of proficiency - on joint kinematics and loading in the lower extremities was investigated on the example of basic Rumba dance steps. We hypothesized to find higher joint loadings in the lower extremities with higher level of proficiency. In agreement with our hypothesis, we found increased JCF in dancers with a higher level of proficiency compared to novice dancers. The higher peak JCF were likely caused by the increased mean joint angles used by professional dancers. This more-pronounced movement pattern might be used by referees to judge the esthetics of the dance movements. The JCF from our dance simulations were higher compared to JCF experienced during normal walking. Considering that professional dancers train several hours per day, the increased JCF and musculoskeletal loading in general might be the reason for dance-related injuries. In conclusion, we quantified joint kinematics and joint loading during dancing. Our findings can be used to design dance-specific supplementary training programs or dance shoes with the aim to prevent injuries in the long run.