Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention

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Introduction

Introduction

Modifiable risk factors

Proprioception

Strength

Range of Movement

Movement Skill

Evidence for Proprioception (stability training) to prevent injuries

There is an association between poor static balance and ankle and knee ligament injuries, and it has been shown that static balance training reduces the incidence of ankle and knee injuries.

Trojian and McKeag found an association between preseason performance on a single-leg balance test and ankle sprains throughout the season. Trojian TH, McKeag DB. Single leg balance test to identify risk of ankle sprains. British journal of sports medicine. 2006 Jul 1;40(7):610-3.

Oshima et al showed that poor static balance is a novel risk factor for ACL injuries and that proprioceptive training may be effective and clinically relevant in ACL prevention. (Oshima T, Nakase J, Kitaoka K, Shima Y, Numata H, Takata Y, Tsuchiya H. Poor static balance is a risk factor for non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injury. Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery. 2018;138:1713-8.) http://carrickinstitutenotes.s3.amazonaws.com/2019-2020+TBI+Series/TBI+5/Articles+sent+second/Poor+static+balance+is+a+risk+factor+for+non-contact+anterior+cruciate+ligament+injury.pdf

Rivera et al concluded that proprioceptive training programmes were effective in reducing the incidence of ankle sprains in an athletic population, including those with and those without a history of ankle sprains. Rivera MJ, Winkelmann ZK, Powden CJ, Games KE. Proprioceptive training for the prevention of ankle sprains: an evidence-based review. Journal of athletic training. 2017 Nov;52(11):1065-7.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5737043/

An association between poor dynamic balance and injury exists. A test used to assess dynamic balance is the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). Available evidence:

Provide link to Star Excursion Balance Test_PP page

Anterior reach on SEBT

Low performance on the SEBT -ANT may increase the risk of an ankle ligament injury (Gribble PA, Terada M, Beard MQ, Kosik KB, Lepley AS, McCann RS, Pietrosimone BG, Thomas AC. Prediction of lateral ankle sprains in football players based on clinical tests and body mass index. The American journal of sports medicine. 2016 Feb;44(2):460-7.)

Stiffler et al reported that assessing side to side reach asymmetry in the anterior direction of the SEBY may identify predisposed individuals at risk of sustaining non-contact injuries to the knee and ankle. Stiffler MR, Bell DR, Sanfilippo JL, Hetzel SJ, Pickett KA, Heiderscheit BC. Star excursion balance test anterior asymmetry is associated with injury status in division I collegiate athletes. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy. 2017 May;47(5):339-46.

Ko et al investigated dynamic balance as a risk factor for ankle injures in adolescent soccer players and found an fourfold increased odds for ankle injuries in indivduals with lower SEBT – ANT scores (<64%) Ko J, Rosen AB, Brown CN. Functional performance tests identify lateral ankle sprain risk: a prospective pilot study in adolescent soccer players. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports. 2018 Dec;28(12):2611-6.

Bliekendaal et al reported that lower scores on the normalised SEBT -ANT, as a measure of dynamic balance, are associated wit an increased odds for subsequent ankle injury. However, in this study this was only significant in male participants and not females. Bliekendaal S, Stubbe J, Verhagen E. Dynamic balance and ankle injury odds: a prospective study in 196 Dutch physical education teacher education students. BMJ open. 2019 Dec 1;9(12):e032155.

Postero-medial reach in SEBT

Attenborough et al investigated risk factors for ankle sprains in netball players and found that a lower posterior-medial reach distance is associated with ankle sprains. (a reach of less or equal to 77.5% of leg length) Attenborough AS, Sinclair PJ, Sharp T, Greene A, Stuelcken M, Smith RM, Hiller CE. The identification of risk factors for ankle sprains sustained during netball participation. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2017 Jan 1;23:31-6.

Ruffe et al reported that runners with an Postero-medial reach difference of > 4cm had an increased likelihood of hip/thigh/knee running-related injuries. Ruffe NJ, Sorce SR, Rosenthal MD, Rauh MJ. Lower quarter-and upper quarter Y balance tests as predictors of running-related injuries in high school cross-country runners. International journal of sports physical therapy. 2019 Sep;14(5):695.

Postero-lateral reach in SEBT

A weak performance on the postero-lateral reach of the SEBT is a predisposing factor for ankle ligament injuries in an active population. De Noronha M, França LC, Haupenthal A, Nunes GS. Intrinsic predictive factors for ankle sprain in active university students: a prospective study. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports. 2013 Oct;23(5):541-7.

Johanson et al determined that lower scores on the SEBT – PL increases the risk of FAI injuries. Johansson AC, Karlsson H. The star excursion balance test: Criterion and divergent validity on patients with femoral acetabular impingement. Manual therapy. 2016 Dec 1;26:104-9.

Improving static and dynamic balance could mitigate the risk of ankle and knee injuries.

Range of Movement

Poor hamstring flexibility does not relate to hamstring injury risk. Green et al reported no factor related to flexibility, mobility and range of motion showed a clear relationship with the risk of hamstring injury. Common tests investigated included – passive knee extension, active knee extension, passive straight leg raise and slump.  Green B, Bourne MN, van Dyk N, Pizzari T. Recalibrating the risk of hamstring strain injury (HSI): A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of risk factors for index and recurrent hamstring strain injury in sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020 Sep 1;54(18):1081-8.

Limited hip abduction range of movement does not increase the risk of a groin muscle injury. Whittaker et al did a systematic review on risk factors for groin injury in sport and highlighted that there is limited evidence of an association between hip range of motion and groin injury. Whittaker JL, Small C, Maffey L, Emery CA. Risk factors for groin injury in sport: an updated systematic review. British journal of sports medicine. 2015 Jun 1;49(12):803-9. Another systematic review did find reduced hip abductor range of movement is a risk factor for groin/hip injury in field-based sports. However, there was a limited scope of sports considered in this review and both hip and groin injuries were investigated. Ryan J, DeBurca N, Mc Creesh K. Risk factors for groin/hip injuries in field-based sports: a systematic review. British journal of sports medicine. 2014 Jul 1;48(14):1089-96.

Quadriceps flexibility as determined by the modified Thomas test, was reported as an independent risk factor for hamstring injury occurrence in Australian rules football players, players with greater flexibility were 70% less likely to suffer a hamstring injury. Gabbe BJ, Finch CF, Bennell KL, Wajswelner H. Risk factors for hamstring injuries in community level Australian football. British journal of sports medicine. 2005 Feb 1;39(2):106-10.

Limited ankle dorsiflexion range is not a risk factor for calf muscle injuriesGreen B, Pizzari T. Calf muscle strain injuries in sport: a systematic review of risk factors for injury. British journal of sports medicine. 2017 Aug 1;51(16):1189-94.

Ankle dorsiflexion range did not predict stress fractures of the tibia or foot in military recruits. Dixon S, Nunns M, House C, Rice H, Mostazir M, Stiles V, Davey T, Fallowfield J, Allsopp A. Prospective study of biomechanical risk factors for second and third metatarsal stress fractures in military recruits. Journal of science and medicine in sport. 2019 Feb 1;22(2):135-9. And  Nunns M, House C, Rice H, Mostazir M, Davey T, Stiles V, Fallowfield J, Allsopp A, Dixon S. Four biomechanical and anthropometric measures predict tibial stress fracture: a prospective study of 1065 Royal Marines. British journal of sports medicine. 2016 Oct 1;50(19):1206-10.

Dorsiflexion range and knee injury

Fong et al reported that increased dorsiflexion range of motion was associated with greater knee flexion and smaller ground reaction forces during landing, thus a landing posture that is related to reduced ACL risk. Fong CM, Blackburn JT, Norcross MF, McGrath M, Padua DA. Ankle-dorsiflexion range of motion and landing biomechanics. Journal of athletic training. 2011 Jan;46(1):5-10.

There is compelling evidence for an association between reduced/limited ankle dorsiflexion and dynamic knee valgus. It is therefor recommended to include ankle dorsiflexion range of movement assessments in clinical practice as it may be a predisposition to harmful lower limb movement patterns. Lima YL, Ferreira VM, de Paula Lima PO, Bezerra MA, de Oliveira RR, Almeida GP. The association of ankle dorsiflexion and dynamic knee valgus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2018 Jan 1;29:61-9.

Improving ankle dorsiflexion range of movement may be beneficial in preventing injuries, but improving hamstring flexibility will not prevent hamstring injuries.

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