What is it about?

This 4 year prospective study investigates the role of isokinetic strength testing in identifying strength as a risk factor for hamstring strain injuries. It evaluated a number of different isokinetic strength protocols, normalizing the results to body weight as well as investigating the popular H:Q ratio. Effect size and absolute value is reported along with p-values to allow accurate interpretation of the results.

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Why is it important?

Strength has been identified in numerous studies as an important risk factor for the development of hamstring strain injuries. No study before has been adequately powered to allow meaningful interpretation of the data. This study included 190 injuries, 614 subjects and almost 2000 isokinetic test measurements. It shows therefore that strength is indeed a risk factor and should be considered part of the causation of hamstring injuries, but clinically it would be difficult to distinguish between individuals who will have an injury, and those who will not. Identifying these types of risk factors should not be directly translated into prediction.

Perspectives

This study has many limitations, including no exposure data, unregulated movement of players between clubs and some of the not too often acknowledged difficulties with preseason isokinetic testing. However, with the large sample size and number of included injuries, we can confidently say that we are able to identify hamstring and quadriceps strength deficits as risk factors for injury. If we consider the effect size and absolute difference, it should be clear that we cannot predict the individuals who will have a hamstring injury. Distinction should be made between, as Rod Whiteley says, "...WHAT is associated with injury and WHO will get injured."

Mr Nicol van Dyk
ASPETAR

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Hamstring and Quadriceps Isokinetic Strength Deficits Are Weak Risk Factors for Hamstring Strain Injuries, The American Journal of Sports Medicine, March 2016, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0363546516632526.
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