LOWER LIMB MUSCULOSKELETAL STIFFNESS CAN PREDICT OVERUSE INJURIES IN HIGH LEVEL ADOLESCENT FEMALE ATHLETES

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The purpose of this study was to investigate whether measures of lower limb musculoskeletal stiffness (MSS) can prospectively predict overuse injuries in adolescent female athletes. Thirty-nine athletes from high-impact sports (gymnastics and track & field) completed a series of repeat jumps on force plates at baseline and 12 months later. Sport-related injuries were tracked using a self-report questionnaire. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves established the predictive ability and appropriate cut-off value of baseline MSS measures. Logistic regression based on the ROC findings showed measures of MSS were able to correctly categorise 77% (p<0.01) of the prospective overuse injuries and non-injuries reported. It was concluded that measures of lower limb MSS are good predictors of overuse injury in females involved in high- impact sports.