Christine D. Pollard, PhD, PT
Assistant Professor of Research Physical Therapy

Email:  cpollard@usc.edu 

Office:  CHP-G35 

Dept. Mailing Address:   1540 Alcazar St., CHP 155
                                            Los Angeles, CA 90089-9006
 

Dr. Pollard is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy.  Her primary teaching responsibilities include the areas of anatomy, orthopaedic pathology, clinical imaging, and biomechanics.   Dr. Pollard is on the editorial board for the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy and serves as a peer reviewer for several journals including Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, American Journal of Sports Medicine, Gait & Posture, and Journal of Applied Biomechanics.

Dr. Pollard’s research is dedicated to improving the scientific understanding of lower extremity injuries, and advancing injury-prevention and rehabilitation programs based on this knowledge. Her research is primarily focused in two areas: 1) identifying potential mechanisms underlying the disproportionate incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes; and, 2) identifying biomechanical and early articular cartilage changes at the knee in individuals’ post-ACL reconstruction.  Her current investigations related ACL injury prevention include examination of the influence of gender on lower extremity kinematics, kinetics, muscle activation patterns and intersegmental joint coordination in order to identify “at risk” behavior which may predispose females to injury.   Dr. Pollard’s current investigations related to early articular changes (i.e. early osteoarthritis) in individuals post-ACL reconstruction include examination of lower extremity biomechanics (kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activation) and knee articular cartilage (measurement of cartilage volume, thickness and water content using 3T MRI) in order to better understand why these individuals are more likely to experience early osteoarthritis.  These findings will then be applied to the development of more effective rehabilitation programs in an effort to prevent the early onset of osteoarthritis. 

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 2004
• PhD Biomechanics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 2003
• MS Physical Therapy, Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR 1998
• BA Physical Education, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA 1991

Publications

• Tsai L-C, Sigward SM, Pollard CD, Fletcher MJ, Powers CM. The effects of fatigue and recovery on knee kinetics and kinematics during side-step cutting. Med Sci Sports Exerc. (accepted)
• Souza RB, Arya S, Pollard CD, Salem GJ, Kulig K.  Patellar tendinopathy alters the distribution of lower extremity joint effort during hopping. J Appl Biomech. (accepted)
• Farrokhi S, Pollard CD, Souza R, Chen Y, Reischl S, Powers CM. Trunk position influences the kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity of the lead lower extremity during the forward lunge exercise.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 38:403-409, 2008.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SM, Powers CM. Gender differences in hip joint kinematics and kinetics during a side-step cutting maneuver. Clin J Sports Med. 17:38-42, 2007.
• Pollard CD, Braun B, Hamill J. Influence of gender, estrogen and exercise on anterior knee laxity. Clin Biomech. 21:1060-1066, 2006.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SM , Pelley K, Ota S, Powers CM. The influence of in-season injury prevention training on lower extremity kinematics during landing in female soccer players. Clin J Sports Med. 16:223-7, 2006.
• Milner CE, Ferber R, Pollard CD, Hamill J, Davis IS. Biomechanical factors associated with tibial stress fractures in female runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 38:323-8, 2006.
• Pollard CD, Heiderscheit BC , Van Emmerik REA, Hamill J. Gender differences in lower extremity coupling variability during an unanticipated cutting maneuver. J Appl Biomech. 21:143-52, 2005.
• Pollard CD, Davis I, Hamill J. Influence of gender on hip and knee mechanics during a randomly cued cutting maneuver. Clin Biomech. 19:1022-1031, 2004.

Book Chapter

• Powers CM, Pollard CD, Sigward SM. Effect of Prevention Programs on Performance. In: Hewett TE, Griffin LY, Mandelbaum BR, Schultz SJ eds. Understanding and Preventing Non-Contact ACL Injury. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Abstracts

• Fietzer AL, Asami DK, Pollard CD, Arya S, Souza RB, Popovich JM, Kulig K.  Ground reaction forces and peak knee net joint moments during the takeoff and landing phases of a grand jeté.  American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, February 2009.
• Winder BR, Asami DK, Pollard CD, Souza RB, Arya S, Popovich JM, Kulig K.  Lower-extremity joint kinetics during the takeoff phase of a grand jeté performed by elite dancers.  American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, February 2009.
• Souza R, Arya S, Pollard CD, Salem G, Kulig K.  Patellar tendinopathy alters the distribution of lower extremity joint effort during hopping.  Proceedings for the North American Congress on Biomechanics, Ann Arbor, MI, August 2008.
• Arya S, Souza RB, Pollard CD, Sorenson SC, Salem GJ, Kulig K.  Energetics of single-legged hopping in the presence of patellar tendinopathy. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, May 2008.  Med Sci Sports Exerc (Suppl)., May, 2008.
• Sorenson SC, Arya S, Souza RB, Pollard CD, Harper KL, Paulseth SG, Salem GJ., Kulig K.  Altered knee extensor dynamics in the volleyball approach jump: The influence of patellar tendinopathy. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, May 2008.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SM, Powers CM.  Stiff landing increases frontal plane loading of the knee. ACL Retreat IV: ACL Injuries: The Gender Bias, Greensboro, NC, April 2008.
• Sigward SM, Pollard CD, Powers CM.  The influence of an ACL injury prevention program on knee valgus moments during cutting: An evaluation of pre-pubertal, pubertal, and post-pubertal female athletes. ACL Retreat IV: ACL Injuries: The Gender Bias, Greensboro, NC, April 2008.
• Tsai LC, Sigward SM, Pollard CD, Fletcher MJ, Powers CM.  The effects if fatigue and recovery on knee kinetics and kinematics during side-step cutting. ACL Retreat IV: ACL Injuries: The Gender Bias, Greensboro, NC, April 2008.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SM, Powers CM.  Decreased knee flexion during landing increased frontal plane loading of the knee.  Proceedings for the American Society of Biomechanics Annual Conference, Palo Alto, CA, August 2007.
• Lyle MA, Sigward SM, Pollard CD, Powers CM.  The influence of maturation and lower extremity kinetics on swing limb foot velocity in young females during a soccer kick.  Proceedings for the American Society of Biomechanics Annual Conference, Palo Alto, CA, August 2007.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SM, Powers CM.  Mechanisms of ACL injury: Current perspectives. Proceedings for the XXI Congress, International Society of Biomechanics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, July 2007.
• Tsai LC, Sigward SM, Pollard CD, Fletcher MJ, Powers CM.  The effects of fatigue and recovery on knee kinetics and kinematics during side-step cutting.  Proceedings for the XXI Congress, International Society of Biomechanics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, July 2007.
• Sigward SM, Pollard CD, Klenow MM, Montague SM, Powers CM.  The influence of maturation on knee mechanics during an unanticipated side step cutting task.  Proceedings for the XXI Congress, International Society of Biomechanics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, July 2007.
• Powers CM, Fisher BE, Lin J, Kantak S, Tan C, Pollard CD, Sigward SM. Changes in lower extremity movement patterns are accompanied by motor cortex neuroplasticity: A case report.  Proceedings of the World Confederation of Physical Therapy, June 2007.
• Farrokhi S, Pollard CD, Souza R, Chen Y, Reischl S, Powers CM. The influence of trunk position on lower extremity biomechanics during a forward lunge. Proceedings for the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, Boston, MA, February 2006.
• Sigward SM, Pollard CD, Powers CM.  The influence of an ACL injury prevention program on hip and knee kinematics and kinetics during an unanticipated side-step cutting maneuver in young female athletes. Proceedings for the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Annual Meeting, Hershey, PA, July 2006.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SM, Powers CM.  ACL injury and prevention: An evidence based model for clinical practice. Proceedings for the American Physical Therapy Association Annual Conference, Orlando, FL, June 2006.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SM, Powers CM.  Gender difference in knee joint torsional stiffness during a side step cutting maneuver. Proceedings for the ACL Retreat 3: ACL Injuries: The Gender Bias, Lexington, KY, April 2006.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SM, Ota S, Pelley K, Powers CM. Gender differences in hip joint kinematics and kinetics during a side-step cutting maneuver. Proceedings for the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 2005.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SM, Ota S, Pelley K, Power CM.  The influence of an ACL injury prevention training program on lower extremity mechanics during a landing task. Proceedings for the National Athletic Trainers Association Annual Meeting, Baltimore,         MD, June 2004.
• Pollard CD, Heiderscheit BC, Van Emmerik REA, Hamill J.  Gender differences in lower extremity coordination during an unanticipated cutting maneuver.  American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, May 2004.  Med Sci Sports Exerc (Suppl)., 36:5, May 2004.
• Pollard CD, Heiderscheit BC, Van Emmerik REA, Hamill J.  Gender differences in lower extremity coupling variability during an unanticipated cutting maneuver.  Proceedings for the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, Nashville, TN, February 2004.
• Pollard CD, Heiderscheit BC, Van Emmerik REA, Hamill J.  Gender differences in lower extremity mechanics during a randomly cued cutting maneuver.  Proceedings for the International Society of Biomechanics Congress, August 2003.
• Pollard CD, Davis I, Hamill J.  Gender differences in lower extremity mechanics during a single limb squat.   American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, May 2003.  Med Sci Sports Exerc (Suppl)., May, 2003.
• Pollard CD, Devine E, Braun B, Hamill J.  The association of estrogen changes across the menstrual cycle phases with ACL laxity in active females.  Proceedings for the IV World Congress of Biomechanics, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, August 2002.
• Pollard CD, Devine E, Braun B, Hamill J.  Influences of gender and exercise on ACL laxity.  Proceedings for the IV World Congress of Biomechanics, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, August 2002.
• Pollard CD, McKeown KA, Ferber R, McClay Davis I, Hamill J.  Selected structural characteristics of female runners with and without lower extremity stress fractures.  American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, St Louis, MO, May 2002.  Med Sci Sports Exerc (Suppl). 34:5, S991, May, 2002.
• Ferber R, McClay Davis I, Hamill J, Pollard CD, McKeown KA.  Kinetic variables in subjects with previous lower extremity stress fractures.  American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, St Louis, MO, May 2002.  Med Sci Sports Exerc (Suppl). 34:5, S25, May, 2002.
• Pollard CD, McClay Davis I, Hamill J.  Multiple lower extremity stress fractures in a female Division I cross country runner: A case study.  Combined Sections Meeting, American Physical Therapy Association, Boston, MA, February 2002.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther.  32:A-16, 2002.
• McKeown KA, Pollard CD, Chu J, Hamill J.  Lower extremity coordination changes during a fatiguing run.  Proceedings for the XVIII Congress, International Society of Biomechanics, Zurich, Switzerland, June 2001.
• Pollard CD, Carroll A, Moroye D, Avedisian L, Rutt R.  Selected kinematic variables and oxygen consumption in female runners who excessively pronate.  American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, May 1998.  Med Sci Sports Exerc (Suppl)., May, 1998.