Overload knee joint pain in horse riding athletes

Purpose: Horse riding has been garnering increasing interest in recent years, but it is also recognized as one of the most injury-prone sports. The aim of this study was to identify the specific causes of overload knee joint pain in individuals practicing horse riding.<br /> Methods: The study group consisted of 18 female horse riders (aged 23.72 +/- 3.34 years) and the control group consisted of 19 females (aged 23.68 +/- 1.00) not engaged in regular horse-riding training. Internal (IR), external (ER) hip joint rotations, hip joint abduction (ABD) and adduction (ADD) were measured. The abductor, adductor and rotator muscle force moments of the knee were measured under isometric conditions. Results: In the study group, 83% of individuals reported experiencing knee joint pain, both during and after horse riding training. Among those experiencing pain, 77% indicated trotting, and 23% reported galloping as the gaits that provoked the most discomfort. Significant higher values were observed in both active and passive IR ranges in both lower limbs in the study group (P< .05). Muscle torque values, normalized to body weight, indicated that the study group had lower adductor muscle torques compared to the control group. Significantly higher muscle strength values were found in both right and left thigh adductor muscles in the study group compared to the control group (P <.001). Conclusions: Overall, the above analysis highlights the importance of strength training for riders, particularly focusing on thigh abductors, including gluteal muscles, to balance muscle strength, reduce knee joint loading, and alleviate spinal pains. Improper joint loading is primarily due to the riding position and resulting imbalance between thigh abducting and adducting muscle strengths. Preventing musculoskeletal pain requires a balanced exercise regimen, focusing on muscle groups that are less utilized in riders' movement techniques.