Hand-Arm Vibration Assessment and Changes in the Thermal Map of the Skin in Tennis Athletes during the Service.

Ana M Amaro,Maria F Paulino,Luis Roseiro,Maria A Neto

doi:10.3390/ijerph16245117

Ana M Amaro, Maria F Paulino + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16245117

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Abstract

During recent years the number of tennis athletes has increased significantly. When playing tennis, the human body is exposed to many situations which can lead to human injuries, such as the so-called tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). In this work a biomechanical analysis of tennis athletes, particularly during the service, was performed, considering three different types of over-grip and the presence of one anti-vibrator device. One part of the study evaluates the exposure to hand-arm vibration of the athlete, based on the European Directive 2002/44/EC concerning the minimum health and safety requirements, regarding the exposure of workers to risks from physical agents. The second part of the study considers an infrared thermography analysis in order to identify signs of risk of injury, particularly tennis elbow, one of the most common injuries in this sport. The results show that the presence of the anti-vibrator influences the vibration values greatly in the case of athletes with more experience and also for athletes with less performance. The presence of the Cork and/or Tourna on the racket grip does not have any significant effect on the hand-arm vibration (HAV), similarly in the case of athletes with the best performance and athletes with less technique. The results indicated that the infrared thermography technique may be used to identify the risk of injuries in tennis players.

Highlights

There is a significant number of tennis players in the world, taking into consideration both the professionals and those who play for leisure
The results provided useful information on the impact and potential different types of over-grip on the mechanical vibration behavior of rackets when used by tennis benefits of different of over-gripwas on the mechanical vibration behavior of racketsthat when used by players
In terms of the hand-arm vibration induced, it is possible to conclude that the best situation, to avoid injuries to athlete’s arm, with less vibration transmitted, is the Wilson Pro racket with anti-vibrator (WGWAV), and the worst case is the WGNAV

Summary

Introduction

There is a significant number of tennis players in the world, taking into consideration both the professionals and those who play for leisure. Disorders of the musculoskeletal system can appear, such as tennis elbow, shoulder injuries, stress fractures, and muscle strains, which cause health problems [2]. Ferrara and Cohen [3] wrote that the repetitive impact and abuse of the upper extremities in racquet sports can increase the risk of tissue fatigue and injury, because during the impact between the racket and the ball the muscles are used the most. Hennig [5] did a study to evaluate the influence of the racket on injuries in tennis athletes, and concluded that one of the causes for developing tennis elbow is the number of vibrations transmitted to the arm by the hand, due to the impact between the racket and the ball. Baszczyński et al [6] evaluated the spring tension and mass of a tennis racket and determined that

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