Abstract
Collegiate American football has a high rate of injury. The Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test (YBT-LQ), a dynamic assessment of lower extremity strength, mobility, and balance, has been purported to identify athletes at risk for injury in different sports including football. Previous studies examining the association between YBT-LQ and injury have reported varied findings; therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess if preseason YBT-LQ performance predicted whether football players would sustain a non-contact lower extremity or low back (lower quarter (LQ)) injury during the season. Fifty-nine male collegiate American football players (age 20.8 ± 1.3 y, height 1.8 ± 0.1 m, body mass 94.6 ± 14.2 kg) completed a survey of training and injury history and had their YBT-LQ performance assessed at the start of the season. Athletic training staff tracked the occurrence of non-contact LQ injuries during the season. There were no significant relationships found between preseason YBT-LQ values and incidence of non-contact LQ injury in this population of collegiate American football players. This study is consistent with recent reports that have not found a significant association between preseason YBT-LQ values and LQ injury. These results suggest that, in isolation, the YBT-LQ may have limited utility as a screening test for non-contact injury in collegiate football players.
Highlights
Collegiate American football is a demanding and aggressive sport and correspondingly has one of the highest rates of injury among collegiate team sports [1,2,3,4,5]
This study is consistent with recent reports that have not found a significant association between preseason YBT-LQ values and LQ injury
Rule was instituted to decrease the rate of head injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) American football and to lower the risk of sports-related concussions; this “targeting” rule made forcible contact with the neck, head, or crown of helmet beyond a legal tackle a personal foul [7]
Summary
Collegiate American football is a demanding and aggressive sport and correspondingly has one of the highest rates of injury among collegiate team sports [1,2,3,4,5]. American football had an injury rate of 8.6 injuries per 1000 athlete exposures. Rules about gear and tackling in collegiate American football have been modified and injury prevention strategies incorporated to minimize injury occurrence [7,8]. Rule was instituted to decrease the rate of head injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) American football and to lower the risk of sports-related concussions; this “targeting” rule made forcible contact with the neck, head, or crown of helmet beyond a legal tackle a personal foul [7]. A recent study suggested that the lower extremities may be more vulnerable to injury than concussive injury, as players may change their movement strategies to avoid head and neck contact [7]. Additional factors have been identified as increasing the likelihood of injury in football players including position and playing experience [9], as well as a combination of factors including starter status, Oswestry
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