The relationship between lower body stiffness and injury incidence in female netballers

The aim of this study was to provide contemporary information on injury rates in an elite and sub-elite netball population and to explore the relationship between lower body stiffness and lower body injuries. One elite and two sub-elite teams of female netballers (n = 29) performed the vertical hop...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sports biomechanics 2017-09, Vol.16 (3), p.361-373
Main Authors: Pickering Rodriguez, Elizabeth C., Watsford, Mark L., Bower, Rob G., Murphy, Aron J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ankle
Athletic Injuries - epidemiology
Athletic Injuries - physiopathology
Biomechanical Phenomena
Biomechanics
Female
Humans
Incidence
injuries
Injury prevention
Lower Extremity - injuries
Lower Extremity - physiopathology
muscle mechanics
Muscle, Skeletal - physiology
Myometry
netball
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sports injuries
Young Adult
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Summary:The aim of this study was to provide contemporary information on injury rates in an elite and sub-elite netball population and to explore the relationship between lower body stiffness and lower body injuries. One elite and two sub-elite teams of female netballers (n = 29) performed the vertical hop test to assess active lower body stiffness (K vert ) and myometry to assess quasi-static stiffness. Lower body injuries were monitored via self-reporting and liaison with physiotherapists. Twelve lower body non-contact injuries were sustained by 10 players, equating to 11.29 lower body injuries per 1,000 exposure hours. The most commonly injured sites were the calf (33%) and ankle (25%). No significant differences between K vert of injured and non-injured players were reported, however, injured elite players recorded significantly higher season mean quasi-static stiffness in the soleus (p = 0.037) and Achilles (p = 0.004) than non-injured elite players. Elite and sub-elite netball players recorded a higher injury incidence than previous reports of injuries in recreational netballers. Within the constraints of the study, relatively high stiffness of the soleus and Achilles appears to be related to lower body non-contact injury incidence in female netballers, particularly at the elite level. These results provide a basis for development of injury prevention strategies.
ISSN:1476-3141
1752-6116
DOI:10.1080/14763141.2017.1319970