Increasing Hamstring Flexibility Decreases Lower Extremity Overuse Injuries in Military Basic Trainees

Context: Decreased hamstring flexibility can lead to a plethora of musculoskeletal injuries, including low back pain, hamstring strains, and patellofemoral pain. Lack of flexibility may be the result of myofascial adhesions. The fascia connected to the hamstrings is part of the superficial back line that runs from the cranium to the plantar aspect of the foot. Any disruption along this chain may limit the flexibility of the hamstring. Objective: To investigate if self-myofascial release (SMR) of the plantar surface of the foot in addition to the hamstring group was more effective at improving the flexibility of the hamstrings when compared with either intervention alone. Design: Cross-over study. Setting: Athletic training facility. Participants: Fifteen college students (5 males and 10 females; age: 20.9 [1.4] y, height: 173.1 [10.3] cm, mass: 80.0 [24.9] kg) who were not older than 30, with no history of low back pain or injury within the past 6 months, no history of leg pain or injury within the past 6 months, no current signs or symptoms of cervical or lumbar radicular pain, no current complaint of numbness or tingling in the lower-extremity, and no history of surgery in the lower-extremity or legs. Interventions: Each participant received each intervention separated by at least 96 hours in a randomized order: hamstring foam rolling, lacrosse ball on the plantar surface of the foot, and a combination of both. Main Outcome Measures: The sit-and-reach test evaluated hamstring flexibility of each participant before and immediately after each intervention. Results: There were no significant differences found among the SMR techniques on sit-and-reach distance (F2,41 = 2.7, P = .08, ). However, at least 20% of participants in each intervention improved sit-and-reach distance by 2.5 cm. Conclusions: SMR may improve sit-and-reach distance, but one technique of SMR does not seem to be superior to another.

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Overuse injuries of the lower extremity in runners

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports ◽

10.1111/j.1600-0838.1995.tb00034.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 181-190 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

C. Rolf

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Overuse Injuries

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Lower Extremity Overuse Injuries

Acta Medica Scandinavica ◽

10.1111/j.0954-6820.1986.tb08947.x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 220 (S711) ◽

pp. 171-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

LYLE J. MICHELI

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Overuse Injuries

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A Kinematic Profile of Skills in Professional Basketball Players

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.10.3.205 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 205-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Irene S. McClay ◽

John R. Robinson ◽

Thomas P. Andriacchi ◽

Edward C. Frederick ◽

Ted Gross ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Knee Flexion ◽

Structural Parameters ◽

Overuse Injuries ◽

Ankle Sprains ◽

Basketball Players ◽

Professional Basketball ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

Insight Into

Overuse injuries are common in basketball. To gain insight into their etiology and relationship to mechanics, researchers and clinicians need an understanding of the normal biomechanics of the sport. This study was undertaken with this goal in mind. Lower extremity joint kinematics and structural parameters were collected from 24 players from five professional basketball teams as they performed maneuvers typical of their sport. The results indicated that certain common moves such as the layup landing resulted in knee flexion velocities almost double those seen during the landing phase of running. Lateral movements such as cutting and shuffling placed the foot in extreme positions of supination. Both of these findings have implications for injuries common to basketball such as patellar tendinitis and ankle sprains. It is hoped that this information will initiate a database for normal lower extremity kinematics during basketball and lead to a greater understanding of the relationship of lower extremity movement patterns and injury.

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Prescribed footwear and orthoses are not prophylactic in preventing lower extremity injuries in military tactical athletes: a systematic review with meta-analysis

BMJ Military Health ◽

10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-001955 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e001955

Author(s):

Scott L Paradise ◽

J R Beer ◽

C A Cruz ◽

K M Fechner ◽

A J MacGregor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Lower Extremity ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Technical Information ◽

Lower Extremity Injury ◽

Overuse Injuries ◽

Foot Orthoses ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Military Members ◽

Athletic Shoes

IntroductionMilitary members are exposed to high cumulative physical loads that frequently lead to injury. Prescribed footwear and orthoses have been used to prevent injury. The purpose of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to assess if prescribed prophylactic footwear or foot orthoses reduced the risk of lower extremity injury in military tactical athletes.MethodsMEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SportDiscus, and Defense Technical Information Center databases were searched for randomised controlled trials published at any time that compared foot orthoses or prescribed footwear (to include shock-absorbing insoles and socks) with a placebo intervention or a no-treatment control. Methodological quality was assessed and the number of injuries, population at risk and duration of the study epoch were extracted and relative risk (RR) calculated. An omnibus meta-analysis was performed assessing all prescribed footwear and orthoses intervention studies, with subgroup analyses conducted on studies with similar interventions (ie, basketball athletic shoes, athletic shoes (prescribed by foot type), foot orthoses, shock-absorbing insoles, socks, tropical combat boots).ResultsOf 1673 studies identified, 22 were included. Three of eight studies that employed orthoses demonstrated significantly reduced overuse injuries compared with no-treatment controls (RR range: 0.34–0.68); one study showed neoprene insoles significantly decreased overuse injuries (RR: 0.75). There were no other significant effects in the individual studies and no protective effects observed in the omnibus meta-analysis or in the component subanalyses.ConclusionsPrescribed footwear and orthoses do not appear to have a prophylactic effect on lower quarter musculoskeletal injuries in military members and cannot be recommended at this time.

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Lower Extremity Injuries in Young Floorball Players: A Prospective Study on Overuse Injuries

The Open Sports Sciences Journal ◽

10.2174/1875399x01609010135 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 135-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Susanne Beischer ◽

Sofia Ryman Augustsson

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Overuse Injury ◽

Online Survey ◽

Overuse Injuries ◽

Lower Extremity Injuries ◽

Trauma Research ◽

Common Location ◽

Extremity Injuries ◽

A Prospective Study

Background: Overuse injuries in sports seem to be 1.5 to 2.5 times more common than traumatic injuries in the lower extremity (LE) in children and adolescents. Floorball is the most popular indoor sport in Sweden and is associated with many potential risks of injuries. However, to our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the appearance of injury in young floorball players. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of overuse injuries in LE in floorball players aged 15 or younger, with respect to frequency, location, and consequence of injury. Method: Fifty-seven players, from 9 different teams, participated (mean age 11±2 years). A modified version of Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire was submitted every fourth week during five months in order to record overuse injuries in LE. An online survey software was used to send out the questionnaires. Results: A of 42 overuse injuries in 42% (24/57) of the cohort were found. The average monthly prevalence for all players, in any anatomical area, was 28% (95% confidence total interval 18%-38%). The most common location of injuries was the knee (43%), followed by the foot (40%). Conclusion: The present study shows, in accordance with other recent studies on children and adolescents that overuse injuries seem to be a common problem for young floorball players. Knee and foot appear to be the most common location for overuse injuries in this population. Prospective analyses of different mechanisms for overuse injury in youth athletes and the relation to growth-related overuse disorders is desirable.

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Impaired Core Stability as a Risk Factor for the Development of Lower Extremity Overuse Injuries: A Prospective Cohort Study

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/0363546519837724 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 47 (7) ◽

pp. 1713-1721 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Cedric De Blaiser ◽

Roel De Ridder ◽

Tine Willems ◽

Luc Vanden Bossche ◽

Lieven Danneels ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Lower Extremity ◽

Postural Control ◽

Neuromuscular Control ◽

Core Stability ◽

Overuse Injuries ◽

Muscle Endurance ◽

Functional Movement

Background: Core stability has been suggested to influence lower extremity functioning and might contribute to the development of lower extremity overuse injuries. However, prospective studies to investigate this relationship are limited. Purpose: To research the role of different components of core stability as risk factors for the development of lower extremity overuse injuries. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A total of 142 first-year physical education students participated in this study. They were tested in 2015 and were prospectively followed for 1.5 years by means of a multilevel injury registration method. Three participants were excluded owing to physical complaints during testing. As such, 139 participants were included in the statistical analysis. At baseline, dynamic postural control, isometric core and hip muscle strength, core muscle endurance, core neuromuscular control and proprioception, and functional movement were measured for all participants. Competing risk regression analyses were performed to identify significant contributors to the development of lower extremity overuse injuries. Results: During the follow-up period, 34 (24%) of the 139 participants developed a lower extremity overuse injury. Significant predictive effects for an overuse injury were found for an increased side-by-side difference in dynamic postural control ( P = .038), decreased isometric hip extension:flexion strength ratio ( P = .046), and decreased abdominal core muscle endurance ( P = .032). Conclusion: This study identified measures for dynamic postural control, core muscle strength, and core muscle endurance as significant risk factors for the development of overuse injuries after statistical model building. However, core neuromuscular control and proprioception and functional movement might not allow clinicians to identify patients at risk. These accessible, reliable screening tools could be used in clinical practice with regard to screening and injury prevention for overuse injuries. Injury prediction based on this model needs to be done with caution given the low relative predictive accuracy (53%).

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