Posture of rugby league players and its relationship to non-contact lower limb injury: A prospective cohort study

Preseason Prognostic Factors for Injuries and Match Loss in Collision Sports: A Systematic Review

This study aimed to identify which preseason factors had strong evidence of risks for physical injury during the season of collision sports including rugby, American football, and Australian rules football using qualitative synthesis. Pubmed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were reviewed. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies were: studies involving the collision sports; prospective cohort studies; and studies with outcomes of relative risks, odds ratios, and correlations between players' preseason conditions and injury during the season. The risk of bias based on the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network quality checklists for cohort studies was assessed in 57 studies. The current study identified strong evidence that 1) anthropometric characteristics (body mass index and estimated mass moment of inertia of the body around a horizontal axis through the ankle), which are calculated with weight and height; 2) physical function, in particular for the trunk and lower limb (trunk-flexion hold and wall-sit hold); and 3) Oswestry Disability Index disability, which is a patient-reported outcome measure for disability due to low back pain, were positive prognostic factors for injury during the collision sports season, regardless of playing experience.

Prevalence of idiopathic scoliosis in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) in child, adolescent and adult athletes of all sports activity levels.

Design

Systematic review with meta-analysis.

Data sources

Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Sage journals, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Springer) were systematically searched up from inception to 28 September 2021.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Observational investigations were included to evaluate the prevalence of IS in athletes (engaged in any type of individual and team sports). Congenital scoliosis, neuromuscular scoliosis, Scheuermann’s kyphosis and de novo scoliosis were not included. The risk of bias was assessed using the tool developed by Hoy et al.

Results

Twenty-two studies were included (N=57 470, range 15–46544, participants), thirteen studies were of high-quality. The estimated prevalence of IS in athletes was 27% (95% CI 20% to 35%, I²=98%), with a 95% prediction interval (1% to 69%). The prevalence of IS was significantly higher in female athletes (35%, 95% CI 27% to 34%, I²=98%). Ballet dancers showed a high IS prevalence (35%, 95% CI 24% to 47%, I²=98%). Recreational athletes showed a higher IS prevalence (33%, 95% CI 24% to 43%, I²=98%) than at competitive-level athletes (0.05%, 95% CI 0.03% to 0.08%, I²=98%), followed by elite (20%, 95% CI 13% to 27%, I²=98%).

Conclusions

The prevalence of IS in athletes was similar or higher to that as seen in other studies of the general population. IS prevalence may have a U-shaped relationship relative to level of competition. Further studies are required to determine which sports have the highest IS prevalence.

Factors Associated with Hip and Groin Pain in Elite Youth Football Players: A Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Despite hip and groin pain being commonly reported in elite youth football players, little evidence on risk factors exists. Risk factors in adult football players include reduced hip adductor strength and hip adductor/abductor strength ratios, and lower Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) subscale scores. It is unknown if these factors are also predictive of pain development in youth football players.

OBJECTIVE

To identify whether preseason hip adductor and abductor strength and HAGOS subscale scores of male and female elite youth football players are associated with in-season or historical (lifetime) hip and groin pain.

METHODS

Preseason hip adductor and abductor strength testing and the HAGOS were undertaken by 105 elite male (n = 58) and female (n = 47) football players aged 11-15 years. Medical staff documented both players' self-reported historical and in-season hip and groin pain. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were undertaken with main outcome measures in-season hip and groin pain and historical hip and groin pain and independent variables of hip muscle strength, hip muscle torque and HAGOS subscale scores.

RESULTS

Twenty-three players (21.9%) self-reported in-season hip and groin pain, while 19 players (18.1%) self-reported historical hip and groin pain. Pre-season hip adductor and abductor variables and HAGOS subscale scores failed to predict in-season hip and groin pain. However, a higher body mass index (odds ratio [OR] = 1.32; 95% CI 1.01, 1.73, p = .043) and being male (OR 5.71; 95% CI 1.65, 19.7) were associated with having in-season hip and groin pain (R2 = 0.211). There was also an association between historical hip and groin pain (R2 = 0.579) and both HAGOS subscale Quality of Life (odds ratio [OR] = 0.84; 95% CI 0.77, 0.91, p < .001) and mean abductor torque (OR = 11.85; 95% CI 1.52, 91.97; p = .018).

CONCLUSION

Pre-season hip adductor and abductor strength and HAGOS subscale scores did not predict subsequent in-season hip and groin pain in elite youth football players. However, pre-season higher hip abductor strength and lower HAGOS scores were retrospectively associated with historical hip and groin pain.