Abstract
BackgroundConsidering the injury incidence rate (IR) associated with elite-level rugby, measures to reduce players’ injury risk are important. Establishing scientifically sound, pre-season musculoskeletal screening protocols forms part of injury prevention strategies.ObjectiveTo determine the interrater and intrarater reliability of the flexibility and strength tests included in the Sport Science Lab® (SSL) screening protocol.MethodsWe determine the interrater and intrarater reliability of 11 flexibility and nine strength tests. Twenty-four injury-free, elite, adult (> 18 years), male rugby players were screened by two raters on two occasions. To establish intrarater and interrater reliability, Gwet’s AC1, AC2 and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used for the analysis of binary, ordinal and continuous variables, respectively. Statistical significance was set at 95%.ResultsFlexibility tests which require lineal measurement had at least substantial interrater (ICC = 0.70–0.96) and intrarater reliability (ICC = 0.89–0.97). Most of the flexibility tests with binary outcomes attained almost perfect interrater and intrarater reliability (Gwet’s AC1 = 0.8–0.97). All strength tests attained at least substantial interrater (Gwet’s AC2 = 0.73–0.96) and intrarater (Gwet’s AC2 = 0.67–0.97) reliability.ConclusionThe level of interrater and intrarater reliability of most of the flexibility and strength tests investigated supports their use to quantify various aspects of neuromusculoskeletal qualities and possible intrinsic risk factors amongst elite rugby players.Clinical implicationsEstablishing the reliability of tests, is one step to support the inclusion thereof in official screening protocols. Results of our study, verify the reliability of the simple, clinically friendly strength and flexibility tests included and therefore support their use as preparticipation screening tools for rugby players. Further investigation as to the association thereof to athletes’ injury risk and performance is warranted.
Highlights
If a participant is able to touch his toes with the tip of the third finger, a measurement of 0 cm is recorded
Description: Tape measure is placed on the floor perpendicular to a vertical line drawn on the wall
Considering the reported standard deviations and the fact that 43% of the players included in this study previously sustained shoulder injuries, the normative total rotation values for the control groups (180.33-182.53) and the relative ease of judging (“eye-balling”) 90 without a goniometer when the participant is lying in supine, the SSL developers set the minimal standard at 180 total rotation range of motion (90 internal shoulder rotation (IR) and 90 external rotation (ER))
Summary
Description and standard instructions: Participant is seated on the floor, with hands behind the back. The participant is asked to: “lean forward, so that your forehead gets as close to the ground as possible without bending your knees”. Participant is asked to: “reach down with fingertips as far as possible without bending the knees”. If a participant is able to touch his toes with the tip of the third finger, a measurement of 0 cm is recorded. The vertical distance from the tip of the third finger to top of the box is measured.[1] If a participant is able to reach past the level of the surface of the box, the distance from third fingertip to box surface is measured and recorded as a negative (-) measurement. Equipment: 150 cm tape measure and 35 cm box Proposed minimal standard: 0 cm to -8 cm
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