Comparison of Postural Sway in Individuals with and without Dynamic Knee Valgus

Abstract

Background: Dynamic knee valgus (DKV) is a multi-planar faulty movement pattern that can cause faulty postural control. This study aimed to compare individuals with and without DKV aged 18–30 years old in terms of postural sway (PS). Methods: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 62 individuals with (33) and without (29) DKV were selected and assigned to two groups by conducting the single-leg squat test in the screening stage. The Biodex balance system was then employed to compare the two groups in PS. Mann–Whitney U test was conducted to compare the groups in PS. The statistical significance was set at an alpha of p ≤ 0.05. Results: The result showed that there were no significant differences between individuals with and without DKV in terms of the anterior-posterior, medial-lateral, and overall stability indices (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Apparently, there are no significant differences between individuals with and without DKV in PS due to several possible factors including differences in the measurement tools for postural control, the sensitivity of variables in the postural stability test, and the movement variability and postural stability test (single-leg stance versus double-leg stance). Therefore, it is suggested that future studies should analyze PS in more functional tasks by changing the methodological patterns.