Analysis of landing performance and ankle injury in elite British artistic gymnastics using a modified drop land task: A longitudinal observational study
Brian Glynn, Jason Laird, Lee Herrington, Alison Rushton, Nicola R Heneghan
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether differences in landing force and asymmetry of landing force exist between gymnasts at the time of data collection versus those that subsequently experienced an ankle injury 12-months later. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal observational design with baseline measures and 12 month follow up. SETTING: British Gymnastics National Training Centre. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-two asymptomatic elite level gymnasts from three artistic gymnastic squads (n = 15 senior female, n = 10 junior female and n = 7 senior male). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A modified drop land task was used to quantify measures of landing performance. Peak Vertical Ground Reaction Force (PVGRF) was used to measure landing force. The level of inter-limb asymmetry of landing force was calculated using the Limb Symmetry index (LSI). Other measures included injury incidence and percentage coefficient of variation (% CV). RESULTS: There was no statistical difference for landing force (p = 0.481) and asymmetry of landing force (p = 0.698) when comparing injured and non-injured gymnasts. Most participants (69%) demonstrated inter-limb asymmetry of landing forces. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings observed inter-limb asymmetry of landing force in injured gymnasts, although uninjured gymnasts also exhibited asymmetry of landing force. Both magnitude of landing force and inter-limb asymmetries of landing force failed to identify the risk of ankle injury.