Context: Preseason functional performance test measures have been associated with noncontact time-loss injury in some athletic populations. However, findings have been equivocal with many studies consisting of heterogeneous populations. Objective: To determine if preseason standing long jump and/or single-leg hop test scores are associated with a noncontact time-loss injury to the lower quadrant (LQ = low back or lower-extremities) in female Division III college volleyball (VB) players. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III female VB teams. Patients: A total of 82 female college VB players (age = 18.9 [1.0] y). Main Outcome Measures: Standing long jump and single-leg hop test measures were collected at the start of the official preseason. Athletic trainers tracked all time-loss injuries and their mechanisms. Athletes were categorized as at risk if their preseason standing long jump <80% height, bilateral single-leg hop <70% height, and had a SLH side-to-side asymmetry >10%. Results: The noncontact time-loss overall injury rate for the LQ region in at-risk athletes was 13.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.3–31.5) per 1000 athletic exposures. At-risk athletes were significantly more likely to experience a noncontact time-loss injury than VB players in the referent group (rate ratio = 6.2; 95% CI, 1.9–17.2; P = .008). The relative risk of sustaining a noncontact time-loss injury to the LQ was 4 times greater in the at-risk group (relative risk = 4.6; 95% CI, 2.1–10.1; P = .01). At-risk athletes were 6 times more likely to experience a foot or ankle injury (relative risk = 6.3; 95% CI, 2.1–19.2; P = .008). Conclusion: Suboptimal performance on a battery of functional performance tests is associated with a significantly greater risk of noncontact time-loss injury to the LQ in female Division III college VB players.

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The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the standing long jump (SLJ) and the single-leg hop (SLH) tests to discriminate lower quadrant (low back and lower extremities) injury occurrence in female collegiate soccer players. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine associations between injury and off-season training habits or anthropometric measures. SLJ, SLH, and anthropometric measures were collected during a preseason screening clinic. Each subject completed a questionnaire providing demographic information and off-season training habits. Each athlete performed three SLJ and three SLH per leg. SLJ and SLH scores were not associated with an increased risk of a noncontact time-loss lower quadrant (LQ) injury. Athletes with a higher BMI or who reported less time training during the off-season were two times more likely to sustain an injury. Athletes who had both a higher body mass index (BMI) and lower off-season training habits were three times (relative risk = 3.1 (95% CI: 1.7, 5.5) p-value = 0.0001) more likely to sustain a noncontact time-loss lower quadrant injury. Preseason SLJ and SLH scores do not discriminate injury risk in female collegiate soccer players. Higher BMI and lower off-season training habits are associated with an increased risk of LQ injury.

Background: Male collegiate basketball (BB) players are at risk for musculoskeletal injury. The rate of time-loss injury in men's collegiate BB, for all levels of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition, ranges from 2.8 to 4.3 per 1000 athletic exposures (AE) during practices and 4.56 to 9.9 per 1000 AE during games. The aforementioned injury rates provide valuable information for sports medicine professionals and coaching staffs. However, many of the aforementioned studies do not provide injury rates based on injury mechanism, region of the body, or player demographics. Hypothesis/ Purpose: The purpose of this study is twofold. The first purpose of this study was to report lower quadrant (LQ = lower extremities and low back region) injury rates, per contact and non-contact mechanism of injury, for a cohort of male collegiate basketball (BB) players. The second purpose was to report injury risk based on prior history of injury, player position, and starter status.

PURPOSE: Collegiate volleyball (VB) players are at risk for sports injuries. Reported time-loss injury rates for female Division III (D III) collegiate VB players range from 4.0 to 5.4 injuries per 1000 athletic exposures (AEs). Identifying risk factors in this population may help coaches to reduce injury rates via targeted training programs. The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to determine the ability of 2 functional performance tests (FPTs) [the standing long jump (SLJ) and/or the singleleg hop (SLH) for distance] to identify female D III VB players who may be at an increased risk for a non-contact time-loss lower quadrant (LQ = low back and lower extremities) injury. METHODS: 68 female VB players (18.9 ± 1.0 years old) from 5 D III teams performed 3 trials of each FPT in the preseason. Off-season training habits were also collected. Mean SLJ and SLH distances (normalized to height) were used for study analysis. Injury rates were calculated per 1000 AEs for initial and subsequent injuries. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated to identify the risk association between preseason FPT measures and LQ injury. RESULTS: The mean SLJ distance was 0.82 ± .09 and the mean SLH distances were 0.68 ± 0.09 (R) and 0.68 ± 0.11 (L). Fourteen initial time-loss injuries [thigh/knee region = 5; foot/ankle region = 9) and 2 subsequent time-loss injuries (foot/ankle = 2) occurred during the study. The initial time-loss injury rate was 3.0 (95% CI: 1.7-5.0) per 1000 AEs and the subsequent injury rate was 5.6 (95% CI: 0.9-18.4) per 1000 AEs. Individual test performance did not discriminate risk; however, a limb symmetry index (LSI) > 10% was associated with an increased risk of LQ injury (OR = 3.8; 95% CI: 1.0, 13.5). Suboptimal FPT scores and an LSI > 10% was associated with an increased risk of LQ injury (OR = 21.2; 95% CI: 2.1, 210) and foot/ankle (FA) injury (OR = 14.3; 95% CI: 2.0, 102.9). Adjusted OR were calculated for the aforementioned categories adjusting for off-season weightlifting reports: 1) LSI > 10% (AOR 5.5; 95% CI: 1.3, 22.3); 2) suboptimal FPT scores and LQ injury (AOR 25.7; 95% CI: 2.2, 299); 3) suboptimal FPT scores and FA injury (AOR 16.3; 95% CI: 1.9, 139). CONCLUSIONS: Suboptimal performance on a battery of FPTs may be useful as a screening tool to identify female D III VB players at risk for a non-contact time-loss LQ injury.