The effects of conventional and minimalist footwear on hip and knee joint kinetics during maximal depth jumps

Background:The aim of the current investigation was to examine the effects of minimalist and conventional footwear on the loads experienced by the hip and knee joints during the depth jump. Material and methods:Ten male participants performed depth jumps onto a force platform in each footwear condition. Kinematics of the lower extremities were also quantified using an eight-camera infra-red motion capture system, allowing hip and knee kinetics to be calculated. Differences between footwear were tested using paired samples t-tests. Result: Peak hip and knee joint forces were found to be significantly larger in minimalist (hip = 4.62 E. knee = 4.74 BW) in comparison to conventional footwear (hip = 4.39 & knee = 4.46 BW). At the hip, average and instantaneous load rates were significantly greater in conventional (average = 64.14 & instantaneous = 234.06 BW/s) compared to minimalist (average = 44.43 E. 200.80 BW/s) footwear. At the knee instantaneous load rate was significantly larger in conventional (265.55 BW/s) compared to minimalist (198.07 BW/s) footwear. Conclusions: Given that the load rate is advocated as a more clinically meaningful measure of injury risk the current study shows that minimalist footwear may be most appropriate for those who are susceptible to hip and knee pathologies.