IS INJURY OCCURRENCE ASSOCIATED WITH JOINT COUPLING VARIABILITY DURING UNANTICIPATED MOVEMENT TASKS PERFORMED BY NETBALLERS?

Abstract

This study determined whether lower extremity joint coupling variability (JCV) measures during unanticipated change of direction movements were associated with prospective lower limb injury occurrence in netballers. Twelve elite injury-free female netballers performed five trials of unanticipated sprinting tasks (straight sprints and sprints with a 180° turn on their dominant and non-dominant legs) in the motion analysis laboratory from a 10 m approach. Lower extremity JCV measures were calculated for all movement tasks from 3D data. All netballers were monitored prospectively for a period of six months for the occurrence of lower limb injury. Five (42%) netballers sustained an injury with all injuries on their dominant leg. Low joint coupling variability was associated with injury occurrence in elite female netballers (r = 0.66).