Overuse injuries in the lower back, knees and hip/groin are common among competitive rhythmic gymnasts. The aetiology and mechanisms are multifactorial, and insufficient physical capacity relative to sport specific requirements may be one of several factors causing overuse injuries. The aims of the present study were to investigate strength and flexibility in the lower back, knees and hip/groin in relation to requirements within rhythmic gymnastics (RG), and to identify possible adverse movement patterns that can be targeted through exercises in future injury prevention research. This was a cross-sectional clinical study where all rhythmic gymnasts in a Northern European country’s national team and their recruitment group were invited to participate. The clinical assessment followed a standardized test protocol and consisted of selected tests on strength, flexibility and RG-specific movements. Background variables (anthropometrics, weekly training hours, previous injuries, present health problems and other health measures) were collected in an electronic questionnaire. Twenty of 24 rhythmic gymnasts (83%), aged 12-19 years, participated. Seven selected tests not previously tested for reliability underwent a test-retest of intra-rater reliability in 10 gymnasts. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values ranged from 0.84 to 0.98 and Cohen’s kappa values ranged from 0.74 to 1.0. The clinical tests identified insufficient strength and ability to transform passive range of motion into active range of motion. In addition, adverse movement patterns related to lower back (one-segment hyperextension) and knee (valgus) were observed. Randomized controlled trials are needed to study the effect of incorporating these findings into an injury prevention program within RG.
Gram et al. (Sat,) studied this question.