PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AS RISK-FACTORS FOR SPORTS INJURIES - A 4-YEAR PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

A variety of physical characteristics of athletes has been proposed to be related to the risk to sustain a sports injury. The aim of the pre sent study was to determine the influence of flexibility, anthropometr ic characteristics and malalignment of the lower extremities on the ri sk to sustain a sports injury, using a prospective study design and su bjects exposed to rather equal extrinsic risk factors. Physical educat ion students (N = 136) were followed during their four-year education. Sixteen flexibility indices, four anthropometric characteristics and five malalignment indices of the lower extremities were assessed at th e start of the study and all sports injuries sustained in that four-ye ar period were recorded. No influene of flexibility or anthropometric variables on the total number of injuries or the number of several spe cific injuries (ankle sprain, muscle rupture, dislocation, shin splint s, backache) could be established. Malalignments of the lower extremit ies (average prevalence 18% and only minor deviations) did show some b ut inconsistent relations with the number of (specific) injuries. For pelvic obliquity it was positive as predicted, but for malalignment of the rearfoot and a deviant footprint it appeared to be negative. Leg length inequality and malalignment of the knees were not related to in juries. The most likely explanation for these (poor) findings is the r elatively low number and great variety of sports injuries recorded. Fu rther, the homogeneity in physical characteristics of the population u nder study makes it difficult to find significant relationships. A stu dy design that meets both the criterium of similar extrinsic risk fact ors and that of a wide range of physical characteristics in a represen tative sporting population, however, is not practicable.