Professor/
Associate Chair
1540 Alcazar St., CHP 155,
Los Angeles, CA 90089-9006
Dr. Christopher Powers’ research and teaching interests relate to the biomechanical aspects of human movement. Specifically, his research focuses on how altered kinematics, kinetics and muscular actions contribute to lower-extremity injury. He is particularly interested in the pathomechanics underlying knee and patellofemoral joint dysfunction. He is co-director of the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Laboratory and director of the division’s biokinesiology program.
1) Ho KY,* Chen YJ,* Farrokhi S,* Tsai LC, Liao TC,* Haas N,* Powers CM. Selective Atrophy of the Vastus Medialis: Does is exist in females with nontraumatic patellofemoral pain? Am J Sports Med. 49:700-705, 2021.
2) Shih Y,* Fisher BE, Kutch JJ, Powers CM. Corticomotor excitability of gluteus maximus and hip extensor strength: The influence of sex. Hum Mov Sci. 78:102830, 2021
3) Della Villa F,* Straub RK,* Mandelbaum B, Powers CM. Confidence to return to play after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is influenced by quadriceps strength symmetry and injury mechanism. Sports Health. 13:304-309, 2021.
4) Straub RK,* Barrack AJ,* Cannon J,* Powers CM. Trunk inclination during squatting is a better predictor of the knee extensor moment during squatting than shank inclination. J Sport Rehabil. 16:899-904, 2021
5) Stearns-Reider KM, Straub RK, Powers CM. Improvements in hip extensor rate of torque development influence hip and knee extensor feed-forward control. J Motor Behav. 53:750-757, 2021
6) Du Bois AM, Marcione NA, Powers CM, Flanagan SP, Schroeder ET, Castle SC, Moor JL, Salem GJ. The effects of a comprehensive golf training program on measures of physical performance and dynamic balance in older military veterans. Int J Golf Sci. 9:1, 2021
7) Barrack AJ,* Straub RK,* Cannon J,* Powers CM. The relative orientation of the trunk and tibia can be used to estimate the demands on the hip and knee extensors during the barbell back squat. Int J Sport Sci Coach. 16:1004-1010, 2021
8) Liu J, Salem GJ, Powers CM. Sex differences in hip adduction during the stance phase of running: A swing phase problem. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 53:1412-1416, 2021.
9) Atkins LT, James CR, Yang HS, Sizer PS, Brismée JM, Sawyer SF, Powers CM. Sagittal plane movement training to improve of gluteus maximus use during single limb landing is associated with decreased hip internal rotation and patellofemoral pain. Phys Ther. 101:1-7, 2021.
10) Liu J,* Lewton KL, Colletti PM, Powers CM. Hip Adduction during running: Influence of sex, hip abductor strength, activation and pelvis and femur morphology. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 53:2346-2353, 2021.
11) Barton CJ, De Oliveira Silva D, Morton S, Collins NJ, Rathleff MS, Vicenzino B, Van Middelkoop M, Crossley KM, Callaghan M, Selfe J, Holden S, Lack S, Macri E, Bazzett-Jones DM, Earl-Boehm J, Riel H, Powers CM, Davis I, Morrissey D. Standards for Design and REPORTing of Quantitative Patellofemoral Pain Studies. REPORT-PFP checklist: A Consensus from World Experts. Br J Sports Med. 55:1135-1143, 2021.
12) Straub RK,* Horgan A, Powers CM. Clinical estimation of the use of the hip and knee extensors during athletic movements. J Appl Biomech. 37:458-462, 2021.
13) Stearns-Reider KM, Straub RK, Powers CM. Hip abductor rate of torque development as opposed to isometric strength predicts peak knee valgus during landing: Implications for anterior cruciate ligament injury. J Appl Biomech. 37:471-476, 2021.
14) Straub RK,* Horgan A, Powers CM. Estimation of vertical ground reaction force parameters using 2D video. Gait & Posture. 90:483-488, 2021
15) Straub RK*, Powers CM. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case Report Highlighting Diagnosing and Treatment Challenges and the Possibility of Jarisch–Herxheimer Reactions if High Infectious Loads Are Present Healthcare. 9:1537-1545, 2021.
16) Shih Y,* Fisher BE, Smith JA, Powers CM. Corticomotor excitability of gluteus maximus is associated with hip biomechanics during a single leg drop-jump. J Motor Behav. 53:40-46, 2021.
17) Arcanjo FL, Fukuda TY, Souza CS, Guimaraes J, Aquino LM, Carvalho CG, Powers CM, Gomes-Neto M. Hip muscle strengthening for low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rehabil. 34:1368-1377, 2020.
18) Cannon J,* Weber AE, Park S, Mayer EN, Powers CM. Pathomechanics underlying femoroacetabular impingement syndrome: A theoretical framework to guide clinical practice. Phys Ther. 100:788-797, 2020.
19) Shih Y,* Teng HL, Powers CM. Leg stiffness predicts ground reaction force loading rate in heel-strike runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 51:1692-1697, 2019.
20) Bagwell J,* Powers CM. Persons with cam femoroacetabular impingement exhibit altered pelvifemoral coordination during weightbearing and non-weightbearing tasks. Clin Biomech. 65:51-56, 2019.
21) Blanchette MG,* Powers CM. The influence of footwear tread orientation on slip outcome and slip severity. J Testing and Evaluation. 47:3740-3750, 2019.
22) Liao, TC,* Powers CM. Tibiofemoral kinematics in the transverse and frontal planes influence the location and magnitude of peak patella cartilage stress: An investigation of runners with and without patellofemoral pain. Clin Biomech. 62:72-28, 2019.
23) Huang CH,* Schroeder ET, Powers CM. Anti-gravity treadmill training during the early rehabilitation phase following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: A case series. Physiother Theory Pract. 26:1-6, 2018.
24) Bolgla LA, Boling MC, DiStefano MJ, Mace KD, Fithian DC, Powers CM. National Athletic Trainers’s Association Position Statement: Management of Individuals with Patellofemoral Pain. J Athl Train. 53:820-836, 2018.
25) Liao TC,* Keyak JH, Powers CM. Runners with patellofemoral pain exhibit greater peak patella cartilage stress: A finite element analysis study. J Appl Biomech. 34:298-305, 2018.
26) Stearns KM,* Powers CM. Rate of torque development and feedforward control of the hip and knee extensors: Gender differences. J Motor Behav. 50:321-329, 2018.
27) Plummer HA, Oliver GD, Powers CM, Michener LA. Trunk lean during a single leg squat is associated with trunk lean during pitching. Int J Sport Phys Ther.13:58-65, 2018.
28) Liao TC,* Yin L,* Powers CM. The influence of isolated femur and tibia rotations on patella cartilage stress: A sensitivity analysis. Clin Biomech. 54:125-131, 2018.
29) Collins NJ, Barton CJ, van Middelkoop M, Callaghan MJ, Rathleff MS, Vicenzino B, Davis IS, Powers CM, Macri EM, Hart HF, del Oliveira Silva D, Crossley KM. 2018 Consensus statement on exercise therapy and physical interventions (orthoses, taping and manual therapy) to treat patellofemoral pain: Recommendations from the 5th International Patellofemoral Pain Research Retreat, Gold Coast, Australia, 2017. Br J Sports Med. 52:1170-1178, 2018.
30) Harput G, Guney-Deniz H, Duzgun I, Toprak U, Michener L, Powers CM. Active scapular retraction and acromio-humeral distance at various degrees of shoulder abduction. J Athl Train. 53:584-589, 2018.
31) Atkins LT, James CR, Yang HS, Sizer P, Brismee JM, Sawyer S, Powers CM. Changes in patellofemoral pain resulting from repetitive impact landings are associated with the magnitude and rate of patellofemoral loading. Clin Biomech. 53:31-36, 2018.
