Injury Prevention

Preparatory Mechanics Predict ACL Injury Risk Factors Purpose: Investigate the influence of preparatory angular upper body momentum (UB H) on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk factors during unplanned sidestepping. Conclusion: Preparatory upper body mechanics explained 22% of the variance in PKVM during the WA phase of unplanned sidestepping. There is a rationale to further investigate how an athlete's preparatory mechanics are related to knee/ACL injury risk.

Proprioceptive
training and injury prevention in a professional men’s basketball
team: A six-year prospective study. J Strength Cond Res
30(2): 461–475, 2016—Single limb stance instability is a risk
factor for lower extremity injuries. Therefore, the development
of proprioception may play an important role in injury prevention.
This investigation considered a professional basketball
team for 6 years, integrating systematic proprioceptive activity
in the training routine. The purpose was to assess the effectiveness
of proprioceptive training programs based on quantifiable
instability, to reduce ankle sprains, knee sprains, and low
back pain through developing refined and long-lasting proprioceptive
control. Fifty-five subjects were studied. In the first
biennium (2004–2006), the preventive program consisted of
classic proprioceptive exercises. In the second biennium
(2006–2008), the proprioceptive training became quantifiable
and interactive by means of electronic proprioceptive stations.
In the third biennium (2008–2010), the intensity and the training
volume increased while the session duration became shorter.
Analysis of variance was used to analyze the differences in
proprioceptive control between groups, years, and bienniums.
Injury rates and rate ratios of injury during practices and games
were estimated. The results showed a statistically significant
reduction in the occurrence of ankle sprains by 81% from the
first to the third biennium (p , 0.001). Low back pain showed
similar results with a reduction of 77.8% (p , 0.005). The
reduction in knee sprains was 64.5% (not significant). Comparing
the third biennium with the level of all new entry players,
proprioceptive control improved significantly by 72.2% (p ,
0.001). These findings indicate that improvements in proprioceptive
control in single stance may be a key factor for an
effective reduction in ankle sprains, knee sprains, and low
back pain.