The Relationship Between Anterior Pelvic Tilt, Hamstring Extensibility and Hamstring Strength

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between hamstring extensibility and pelvic tilt, and their collective impact on hamstring strength. The first objective was to examine the relationship between anterior pelvic tilt and hamstring extensibility, with the hypothesis that increased anterior pelvic tilt would be associated with increased hamstring extensibility. The second objective was to examine the relationship between anterior pelvic tilt, hamstring extensibility and the strength of the hamstring muscle group. It was hypothesized that greater angles of anterior pelvic inclination and greater hamstring extensibility would be associated with lower torque production of the hamstring muscle group after accounting for anterior muscle tightness and genu recurvatum. The participants of this study included 43 NCAA Division IAA student-athletes from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Subjects were tested for pelvic inclination and hamstring extensibility as part of a station-to-station preseason screening, while hamstring strength was collected isokinetically in a separate test session. No significant relationships were noted between pelvic angle, hamstring strength and hamstring extensibility, despite accounting for the additional variables of genu recurvatum and anterior muscle tightness. However, a significant negative correlation was found between anterior muscle tightness and hamstring extensibility, but only on the left side. Further study is needed to understand the relationship between posture, muscle extensibility and muscle strength.