The Overload knee joint pain in horse riding athletes
Authors: Patrycja Bobowik, Maria Agnieszczak, Patryk Legut, I. Wiszomirska, K. Kaczmarczyk
Journal: Volume 18.0, Issue N1 2024
Summary
# Editorial Summary Horse riding's explosive growth in popularity has coincided with recognition of its significant injury burden, yet the biomechanical drivers of common complaints remain poorly characterised. Bobowik and colleagues examined 18 female recreational riders alongside 19 non-riding controls, measuring hip joint range of motion and isometric knee muscle torque to identify mechanisms underlying knee pain in this athletic population. The findings were striking: 83% of riders experienced knee pain during or after training, predominantly during trotting (77%), alongside measurably increased internal rotation at the hip bilaterally and a notable muscular imbalance—lower normalised adductor torque but paradoxically higher absolute adductor strength compared to controls. The authors attribute this pattern to compensatory loading consequent upon riding posture and inadequate hip abductor development, particularly the gluteal complex, which fails to stabilise the pelvis and distribute forces appropriately through the kinetic chain. For equine professionals, these findings underscore the need for integrated assessment of rider biomechanics and targeted conditioning programmes addressing hip stability and abductor-adductor balance, rather than treating symptomatic knee pain in isolation; physiotherapists and coaches should prioritise gluteal activation and strengthening alongside screening for excessive hip internal rotation as preventive measures.
Read the full abstract on the publisher's site
Practical Takeaways
- •Evaluate your riders for knee pain prevalence; 83% experiencing pain suggests this is a significant occupational issue—screen riders proactively rather than waiting for complaints
- •Address hip abductor weakness (particularly gluteal muscles) through targeted strengthening; the study shows riders preferentially develop adductors at the expense of abductors, creating destabilizing imbalances
- •Trotting appears more mechanically challenging than galloping for the knee—consider this when assessing pain patterns and modifying training loads for symptomatic riders
Key Findings
- •83% of horse riders reported knee joint pain during or after training, with trotting (77%) more problematic than galloping (23%)
- •Riders showed significantly higher internal rotation ranges in hip joints bilaterally compared to non-riders (P<0.05)
- •Riders had lower normalized adductor muscle torques but significantly higher absolute adductor muscle strength than controls, indicating muscle imbalance (P<0.001)
- •Improper knee joint loading is primarily driven by riding position and imbalance between hip abductor and adductor muscle strengths