ECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH28
INTRODUCTION: Basketball is associated with a high incidence of lower extremity injuries, affecting 55–63% of NCAA basketball players (1). Core stability plays a crucial role in injury prevention. For example, a study of Australian football players found that a smaller cross‐sectional area of the multifidus muscle was associated with an increased risk of lower extremity injuries (2). However, it remains unclear whether trunk muscle area influences the incidence of lower extremity injuries in basketball—a sport with distinct competitive characteristics. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify risk factors for lower extremity injuries in collegiate basketball players. METHODS: Twenty-four male basketball players from a single club participated in the study. An athletic trainer collected sports injury data using injury management software from April to September 2024. Athlete exposure was quantified in “athlete-hours (AH)” (1 AH = 1 hour of practice or competition). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was employed to measure the cross‐sectional area of the trunk muscles at their maximal points (L5/S1 for the multifidus, L3/L4 for the quadratus lumborum, and L4/L5 for the psoas major) (2). Logistic regression analysis was subsequently conducted to identify risk factors for lower extremity injuries. RESULTS: A total of 23 injury and disability events were recorded, 18 of which involved the lower extremities. The incidence rate was 5.1 lower extremity injuries per 1,000 AH. Both AH and age were identified as significant risk factors for lower extremity injuries. Specifically, the odds ratio (OR) for AH was 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.017–1.167), while the OR for age was 0.35 (95% CI: 0.074–0.991). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a rapid increase in athlete exposure and younger age are key risk factors for lower extremity injuries among male university basketball players. Notably, 18-year-old athletes exhibited a particularly high injury rate, implying that insufficient adaptation to the competitive environment may contribute to the elevated risk. In contrast, trunk muscle cross-sectional area did not appear to be a significant risk factor for the development of lower extremity injuries.
Read CV Yuiko MatsuuraECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH28
INTRODUCTION: Football is a high-intensity sport involving rapid direction changes, sprints, and technical movements in both sexes. Female players have higher rates of ACL injuries and ankle sprains than males, with a recent rise in thigh muscle strains. While males mainly sustain hamstring strains during sprinting, females more frequently experience quadriceps strains during kicking, along with hamstring strains. However, the link between strain location and intrinsic risk factors remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify this relationship in female soccer players. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted on a Japanese women’s collegiate football team from 2017 to 2022, which competed in major national tournaments. Muscle strains sustained during soccer matches and training sessions were recorded. Participants underwent a pre-season medical assessment, which included height, weight, body fat percentage, muscle strength, and flexibility, and injury history (knee ligament injuries, ankle sprains and muscle strains within the past year). Participants were categorized based on the location of the muscle strain (quadriceps or hamstrings) and associations with pre-season medical assessments and injury history were analyzed. An unpaired t-test was used to compare physical characteristics between groups, while Fishers exact test was applied to analyze differences in injury history (α = 0.05). RESULTS: During the study, 22 quadriceps and 12 hamstring strains were recorded. A comparison of the physical characteristics between athletes with quadriceps and hamstring strains revealed that isokinetic knee flexion strength was significantly higher in the hamstring strain group (p < 0.05). Additionally, a history of ankle sprains was significantly associated with an increased incidence of thigh muscle strains (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed that players with hamstring strains had significantly higher knee flexion muscle strength. In soccer, hamstring strains may result from sprinting and hip rotational stress caused by ground reaction forces during turning movements. Therefore, strengthening knee flexor muscles, particularly during eccentric contractions, is crucial for preventing hamstring injuries. Furthermore, the present study suggests that a history of ankle sprains is associated with an increased risk of thigh muscle strains. A history of ankle sprains may not only affect sprinting mechanics but also influence quadriceps function during the kicking motion. Further research is needed to investigate the long-term effects of ankle sprains on thigh muscle function, particularly in female soccer players.
Read CV KEIGO ODAECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH28
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to: (1) report the incidence and characteristics of musculoskeletal injuries (body location, type, and mechanism) in Handball; and (2) examine the association between the injury incidence and the acute-to-chronic workload ratio (ACWR). METHODS: A total of 17 Korean collegiate Handball players (21.8 years; 181.6 cm; 81.4 kg; body mass index: 24.6 kg/m²; playing experience: 10.4 years) were prospectively studied during the 2024 season. Injury rates per 1,000 hours were calculated for training, scrimmages, and competitions. An athletic trainer recorded exposure (duration of training, scrimmages, and competitions), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and musculoskeletal injury (injury rate, body location, type, and mechanism) in real time using a spreadsheet programme. The RPE was obtained after each session on a 1-5 scale, where a score 3 indicated the average exercise intensity over the past four weeks. The ACWR was determined by multiplying the RPE by the session duration (min) for training, scrimmage, and competition. The calculation was performed using two different approaches: the rolling average (RA) and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) methods [1]. Calculated ACWR values were categorised as high (>1.5), relatively high (1.3-1.5), moderate (0.8-1.3), or low (<0.8) [2]. RESULTS: Among the 124 injuries recorded, the highest injury rate per 1,000 hours was during scrimmage (n=47; 33.9/1,000 hours), compared to competition (n=6; 17.3/1,000 hours) and training (n=71; 9.7/1,000 hours). Regardless of the session, the ankle was the most frequently injured body location (n=21; 17%), followed by foot/toe (n=13; 10%) and hand (n=13; 10%). Sprain (n=34; 27%) was the most frequent injury type, followed by strain (n=19; 15%) and laceration/abrasion/skin lesion (n=14; 11%). Contact with another athlete was the most predominant injury mechanism (n=27; 22%), followed by non-contact trauma (n=23; 19%) and overuse (n=21; 17%). Of the 91 injuries (injuries that required at least 4 weeks to calculate the ACWR), the 65 (71%) were recorded under the moderate ACWR when calculated using RA method, and 75 (82%) when using the EWMA method. CONCLUSION: Contrary to previous findings in team sports (football: >1.5 [3]), the greatest number of injuries were recorded under the moderate ACWR range (0.8-1.3) in Handball. This highlights the need for sport-specific workload management and careful adjustment of ACWR thresholds to reduce the risk of injury. References: [1] Murray et al., Br J Sports Med, 2017 [2] Blanch et al. Br J Sports Med, 2016 [3] Stares et al. J Sci Med Sport, 2018
Read CV Junhyeong LimECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH28