South African Journal of Sports Medicine最新文献

Sports dentistry is an emerging area within Sports Medicine that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and management of oral pathologies in the athletic population. It is not yet a formally recognised subspecialty; however, it is seeking to gain wider acceptance within the context of sports medicine. Oral health is increasingly being linked to overall athlete well-being and performance. The role of the sports dentist encompasses a broad range of oral pathologies that may present in athletes, including oral trauma, periodontal disease, and temporomandibular disorders. Within a high-performance setting, the role of the sports dentist may become integral in the prevention, management and reduction of time-loss due to avoidable dental pathologies. In South Africa, the establishment of the South African Sports Dentistry Association highlights the growing momentum to formalise the field and embed it within the broader high-performance network. Sports dentistry is an evolving field with the potential to enhance player welfare, safety and longevity.

Background: Exercise dependence is a maladaptive pattern of exercise that can lead to physical and psychological impairment. This phenomenon can be assessed using the Exercise Dependence Scale (EDS-R). However, the reliability and validity of the scale have yet to be established for the South African context.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to verify the factorial structure and reliability of the Exercise Dependence Scale among South African university students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 486 university students (176 males and 303 females, 4 non-binary and 3 participants not willing to disclose their gender) with a range of ages between 18 and 62 (23±6 years) who were invited to complete an online questionnaire comprising a demographic questionnaire and the EDS-R.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the seven-factor model of the EDS-R, with all subscales demonstrating acceptable to high internal consistency (α=0.75-0.94). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated good model fit indices (Comparative fit index = 0.96, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.95, Root mean square error of approximation = 0.06, 90% CI: 0.05-0.070, Standardised root mean square error residual = 0.05).

Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study indicate an acceptable fit index, confirming the 7-factor structure of the EDS-R. However, it would be beneficial to remove item 10 from this scale for the South African content or consider rephrasing items 10 and 19. Further research is needed to investigate and verify the factorial structure of the EDS-R in the South African context.

Background: Despite extensive research on batting biomechanics among male cricketers, limited studies focus on female cricket players.

Objectives: This study examines the biomechanical and performance implications of the lateral batting backlift technique (LBBT) and straight batting backlift technique (SBBT) among female cricketers.

Methods: This study aims to bridge this gap by assessing the backlift, its influence on shot execution and its relationship with performance metrics among local (n=18; South African National Women's Cricket Team, also known as the Protea (P) Women's Cricket team (n=9) and non-Protea players (NP) n=9), as well as international (n=34) female players, using high-speed video analysis and StanceBeam bat sensors. Statistical analyses, including Spearman's Rho correlations and Mann-Whitney U tests, were applied to evaluate key performance metrics such as bat speed, impact speed, and wagon wheel shot distribution.

Results: Findings show that local (67%) and international (62%) players used the LBBT, which was associated with greater performance metrics, e.g., strong positive correlations were found between bat speed and impact speed (r=0.85, p<0.001). A significant difference in wagon wheel shot distribution was observed between P and NP players (p=0.039).

Conclusion: Findings suggest that the LBBT offers biomechanical advantages and may be a key contributing factor in optimising female batting performance. Future longitudinal research studies should focus on three-dimensional (3D) motion capture (as well as markerless motion capture) on the LBBT, integrating real-time analytics and expanding sample sizes to include diverse player populations.

Background: Athletes may sustain severe injuries and need to undergo surgery, potentially leading to osteoarthritis (OA). Early diagnosis and rehabilitation can significantly improve outcomes and extend an athlete's career.

Objectives: To determine: 1) prevalence of clinical hip, knee, and ankle OA; 2) association with pain and function; 3) association with severe injuries and surgeries in female professional footballers.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved female professional footballers who completed online questionnaires on joint pain and function, severe injuries, and surgeries. Their physicians evaluated them for clinical OA (cOA) of the hips, knees, and ankles.

Results: Among 74 participants, cOA prevalence of the hips, knees, and ankles was 2.7% (95% CI: 0-6.4), 5.0% (95% CI: 2.5-10.6), and 8.0% (95% CI: 1.9-14.3), respectively. Pain was present in the hips (p=0.615; Cramer's V=0.132), knees (p=0.556; Cramer's V=0.171), and ankles (p=0.028; Cramer's V=0.391). Joint function was impaired in the hips (p=0.379; Cramer's V=0.214), knees (p=0.738; Cramer's V=0.103), and worse in the ankles (p=0.0778; Cramer's V=0.255). A weak association existed between hip cOA and injuries (p=0.230; Cramer's V=0.193), with moderate associations in the knees (p=0.024; Cramer's V=0.290) and ankles (p=0.168; Cramer's V=0.206). Surgeries were associated with knee cOA (p=0.0578; Cramer's V=0.258) and not ankles (p=1.00; Cramer's V=0.027).

Conclusion: The prevalence of clinical OA was low among female footballers. Pain was the primary symptom, accompanied by impaired joint function. Severe knee injuries and surgeries were linked to cOA. Further research is recommended in this population.

Background: Approximately 23 million sports-related injuries occur annually among African adolescents, with limited epidemiological data on sports-related illnesses across the continent.

Objectives: This study highlights the prevalence, nature, and severity of sports injuries and illnesses in adolescent athletes presenting to a South African sports medicine practice.

Methods: A 12-month prospective longitudinal observational study examined adolescent athletes (aged 10-19) presenting to a South African sports medicine practice. At each visit, athletes and their parents/guardians signed consent forms. Data included demographics, sports type, performance level, injuries and illness details and severity according to the 2020 International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus statement. The primary outcomes included the number (n) and prevalence (%) of injuries and illnesses for each category.

Results: A total of 373 consultations were recorded (202 injuries; 171 illnesses), 61% included male athletes. Team sports athletes accounted for the majority of injuries (64%), while individual sports athletes experienced a higher proportion of illnesses (65%). Lower limb injuries were most common (61%), with joint and muscle sprains (22%) comprising the predominant pathology type. A significant association was found between sex, age, type of sport, and mode of injury onset (p≤0.05). The respiratory system accounted for 54% of all reported illnesses, with infection being the leading cause (97%). For illnesses, significant associations were observed between the type of sport and the affected organ system and aetiology, as well as between sex and aetiology and mode of onset (p≤0.05). Most injuries and illnesses resulted in 1-7 days of time loss.

Conclusion: Male athletes experienced a higher incidence of medical encounters. Injuries were more prevalent in team sports participants, while illnesses were more common in individual athletes. Lower limb injuries, particularly joint and muscle sprains and respiratory infections, cause short-term time loss. This highlights the need for sport-specific injury and illness prevention in adolescent athletes.

Background: Drop jump landing (DJL) analysis is used to identify an athlete's reactive strength abilities and landing mechanics. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of different knee taping conditions on lower limb kinetics and kinematics during a DJL.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of different knee taping conditions on lower limb kinetics and kinematics during a DJL.

Methods: Twenty-one athletes (age: 22.0±2.7 years; height: 1.68±0.08 m; mass: 63.3±10.6 kg) performed a series of 40cm drop jumps under four taping conditions - no tape (NT), dynamic tape (DT), rigid tape (RT), and kinesio-tape (KT). Reactive strength indices (ground contact time (GCT), Landing impact force, and reactive strength index (RSI)) were compared across conditions to determine reactive strength performance. Continuous biomechanical data were analysed using SPM1d repeated measures ANOVA (p<0.05).

Results: Significant changes were observed in ground reaction force (GRF) (3-7%, p=0.001) between NT vs RT and KT, GCT (p=0.003) between NT vs KT, RSI (p=0.013) between NT vs KT, peak ankle abduction (p=0.05) and peak knee rotation (p<0.001). SPM1d analyses revealed significant changes in ankle rotation (1-6%; 17-20%; 67-100%), knee abduction (14-16%; 49-51%) and rotation (1-15%; 17-40%; 51-100%), and hip rotation (16%; 71-100%).

Conclusion: The knee taping conditions showed minor kinematic changes to the ankle, knee, and hip joint angles. Further, the kinetics revealed that KT showed the most improvement in reactive strength performance, having the highest GRF, contributing to SCC efficiency, and the shortest GCT, yielding the highest RSI. This suggests that KT on the knee may contribute to reactive strength performance in a DJL.

Background: Netball is a physical, high-intensity, team sport of high concentration movements such as jumping, landing, passing, and catching. The two most common mechanisms of injury in female netball tend to be from high ground reaction forces (GRF) coupled with an incorrect landing technique. The landing technique employed in netball is furthermore influenced by lower back strength (LBS).

Objectives: To assess mean differences in ankle, knee, and hip joint kinematics and ranges of motion between dominant and non-dominant limbs across different landing directions, and secondly, to evaluate the relationships between GRF and LBS in different landing directions during one season in university-level female netball players.

Methods: A cross-sectional, repeated-measures design was employed for this study. University-level female netball players (n=11) were recruited for this study. The back-leg-chest (BLC) dynamometer was used to measure LBS. Different landing kinematics were analysed using a motion capture and force plate system to collect kinematic GRF data, respectively.

Results: Negative (r=-0.01 to -0.51) and positive (r=0.02 to 0.43) correlations were found between GRF and joint ROM. Additionally, negative correlations (r=-0.02 to -0.18) and positive correlations (r=0.00 to 0.27) were found between GRF and BLC strength. Furthermore, negative correlations were found between joint ROM and BLC strength (r=-0.11 to -0.70).

Conclusion: The negative correlations found between joint ROM and BLC strength indicate that individuals with greater BLC strength require less joint ROM during multi-directional landing in elite female netball players. Furthermore, the positive and negative correlations found between GRF and BLC strength are only weak due to significant variability between participants. However, this information still highlights the importance of multi-directional landing within elite female netball players.

Background: Falls among older adults are a major concern, frequently resulting in injuries and a decreased quality of life. While medication use is known to be a key contributor to fall risk, the specific medications have not been thoroughly investigated. This study is vital to investigate the relationship between specific medications and fall risk, aiming to strengthen safety measures and minimise falls among the elderly in care facilities.

Objectives: To determine the relationship between medication use and the risk of falling among the elderly living in Long Term Care (LTC) facilities.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design to investigate males and females, aged 60 years and older, living in retirement facilities in the City of Cape Town. A convenient sampling method was utilised to recruit a total of 258 participants from multiple long-term care facilities in Cape Town, South Africa. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to determine associations between falls, fall risk factors, and various medications used.

Results: Majority of participants were at low risk (81%; n=211), 15.1% (n=39) at moderate risk and 3.1% (n=8) at high risk for falling. Antidepressant [χ² (1)=4.941; p=0.026; OR=2.083 (95% CI: 1.082, 4.012)] and anti-diabetic [χ² (1)=4.097, p=0.043, OR=2.070 (95% CI: 1.013, 4.228)] medications were the only drugs significantly associated with falling.

Conclusion: These findings highlight the significant association between antidepressant and anti-diabetic medications and an increased risk of falls. Effective medication management and fall prevention strategies are essential among this vulnerable population. Clinicians should carefully assess the risks of these medications when prescribing to older adults and consider alternative treatments when necessary.

Background: Scant research has examined soccer player development trajectories in South Africa. Therefore, research on South African talent development may help create environments conducive to players' learning and growth.

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the factors affecting player development based on playing level (community team versus school academy) and playing phases (Youth Development Phase [YDP] versus Professional Development Phase [PDP]).

Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. A total of 112 male soccer players (M_age=16.2±1.2 years; 51 community-based team players and 61 school academy players; 73 YDP players and 39 PDP players) participated in the study. Data were collected using a 30-item Player Development Soccer Scale.

Results: Results showed that coaching (4.27±0.75 arbitrary units (AU)), personal mindset (4.24±0.63 AU) and social support network (4.17±0.63 AU) were perceived as the most important factors contributing to player development. The least important factor was sport psychology (3.62±0.83 AU). However, compared to school academy players, community team players recorded significantly (p<0.01) higher scores on all the factors of the player development pathway. None of the player development factors showed a significant (p>0.05) difference between YDP and PDP.

Conclusion: The current results may help teams support players psychologically so they can advance along their developmental pathway.

Background: Ultramarathon running presents significant injury risks, and monitoring training loads may identify risk factors for injury. Injury surveillance studies are required to better assess injury prevalence and its relationship to training loads.

Objectives: To determine the incidence and nature of running-related injuries and associated training loads in runners 12 weeks before and two weeks after the 2018 Comrades ultramarathon.

Methods: One hundred and six participants were recruited. Their weekly injury and training load data (distance, duration, frequency and acute-chronic workload ratio) were obtained retrospectively over 14 weeks. The relationship between training load variables and injury risk was modelled using Generalised Additive Models.

Results: The running-related injury incidence was 8/1000 hours. The overall injury proportion was 40%. The commonly injured structures were muscles (47%) followed by tendons (24%). Commonly reported anatomical areas of injury were the knee (26%) and hip (19%). Lower training load distance in the 12 weeks leading up to the race was linked to a higher risk of injury (p=0.02), primarily occurring during or after the race. Weekly training frequency and injury risk showed a significant heterogeneous relationship (p=0.02). The effect of the acute to chronic workload ratio on injury risk was minimal (p=0.3).

Conclusion: Lower training loads were associated with a higher risk for injury, and the frequency of running training per week influenced injury risk. Insufficient training may not prepare the runners for the demands of the ultradistance race. Sudden changes in training load (evident in the acute training load measurements) appeared to have a minimal effect on injury risk. The non-linear relationship between several training load variables and injury risk can successfully be modelled using Generalised Additive Models, which may improve the accuracy of injury prediction modelling in ultramarathon runners.