A l’initiative du Groupement d’Isocinétisme Belge et Luxembourgeois

6ème Journée Belge d’ISOCINETISME

Vendredi 14 et samedi 15 mars 2008

MUSCULAR IMBALANCES, DETERMINED BY ISOKINETIC AND FUNCTIONAL TESTS, IN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS

M. SCHILTZ ^1, C. LEHANCE ², D. MAQUET ², T. BURY ²,

J.M. CRIELAARD ², J.L. CROISIER ²

1 Service de Médecine Physique, Clinique Saint-Jean, Bruxelles

2 Département des Sciences de la Motricité, Université de Liège

Email : mschiltz@clstjean.be

Context:

Studies of dominant limb effect in elite athletes often neglect injury history while lower limb injury rate is high in basketball.

Objective:

Determine lower limb explosive strength asymmetries in professional basketball players in comparison to junior basketball players and control subjects.

Design:

Cohort study.

Setting:

Academic medical institution.

Patients or Other Participants:

15 professional and 10 junior basketball players, and 20 healthy males.

Data collection and Analysis:

Isokinetic examination evaluated knee extensors (Ext) and flexors (Fl) peak torque (PT) at 60{degree sign}·sec-1 and 240{degree sign}·sec-1 concentric, 30{degree sign}·sec-1 and 120{degree sign}·sec-1 eccentric(Fl only). Functional evaluation included: counter movement jump (CMJ), CMJ with arms, 10m sprint, single leg drop jump and single leg 10s continuous jumping. Variables were compared between groups using analysis of variance (GLM) or a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) for bilateral variables.

Results:

The two basketball players groups recorded in general significantly better isokinetic and functional performances than the control group. No functional or relative isokinetic parameters (Nm·kg-1) could demonstrate a significant difference between professional and junior basketball players. Professional players with a history of knee injury failed to reach normal knee extensor strength at 60{degree sign}·sec-1. Knee Ext (60{degree sign}·sec-1), Fl (Ecc 120{degree sign}·sec-1) as well as 10s continuous jumping scores were significantly higher in professional players without than with knee injury history. The injury history group maintained leg asymmetry ratios > 10 % for almost all isokinetic and > 15% for unilateral functional parameters.

Conclusions: Relative isokinetic and functional performances of professional basketball players are similar to junior players, with no dominant side effect. A history of knee injury in the professional athlete however translates into significant bilateral isokinetic and functional asymmetries and must be considered in future explosive strength studies.

Key words: Isokinetic - Muscular Balance - Injury History – Knee.