Nathalie Anne Roussel, Jo Nijs, Sarah Mottram, Annouk Van Moorsel, Steven Truijen, Gaetane Stassijns
The purpose of this study was therefore to examine whether lumbopelvic movement control and/or generalized joint hypermobility would predict injuries in dancers. Four clinical tests examining the control of lumbopelvic movement during active hip movements were used in combination with joint hypermobility assessment in 32 dancers. Occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries, requiring time away from dancing, was recorded during a 6-month prospective study. Twenty-six injuries were registered in 32 dancers. Forty-four percent of the dancers were hypermobile. A logistic regression model using two movement control tests, correctly allocated 78% of the dancers.
The results suggest that the outcome of two lumbopelvic movement control tests is associated with an increased risk of developing lower extremities or lumbar spine injuries in dancers. Neither generalized joint hypermobility, evaluated with the Beigthon score, nor a history of LBP was predictive of injuries.
Manual Therapy, 28 January 2009, online article ahead of print