Movement Patterns in Young Volleyball Athletes

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This project is a consequence of the research chair project studying the same phenomenon in adult volleyball players. The project will make use of and be part of the routine medical screening that is taken by the young players of the first degree of the Leuven Volleyball School, Belgium. All young players must undergo a routine medical investigation and movement screening. This is obliged by the law. The current project will use these data. Outcome parameters will be used to advice the trainer staff of the school to adjust their training interventions. This is normal routine too as the involved medical department has been advising the school for many years. Players will be followed up for 6 weeks. After those 6 weeks, the movement screening will be repeated to evaluate the change in the different outcome parameters. This last screening is not part of a normal routine as players normally are investigated more in a subjective way. The medical team and school want to change that routine. Data will be used to further improve training modalities and sports performance and reduce injury risk in these young athletes.

Official Title
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Optimizing Body and Movement Specific Characteristics in Volleyball Players to Reduces Injuries in Young Athletes.

Conditions
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Athlete, Injuries, Training, Youth

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Training intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: All students from the first degree of the Volleyball school will participate Male and female athletes will be included Signing of an informed consent and assent form (for young kids) to use data for research Agreement given by the medical staff to use data and allowing the kids to be accepted by the school Exclusion Criteria: When inclusion criteria are not met

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 11 Years
Maximum Age: 13 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: Training intervention<br>See information elsewhere | Other: Training intervention<br>* Based on the baseline screening, which is part of the normal prevention routine within the school, all athletes are given individual advice with regard to points of attention within training. For example: those athletes with reduced balance, will get more balance training. Intervention is individual as said and will be guided and supervised by the physical trainer and medical staff of the school.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change of joint mobility | Mobility will be assessed by using goniometer measurements (degrees of movement) | Difference between baseline and 6 weeks | 
| Change of strength | Strength will be assessed by using handheld dynamo-meter data (Newton) | Difference between baseline and 6 weeks | 
| Change in balance score | Stability is measured using the score on the Star Excursion Balance Test (numeric score on balance scale) | Difference between baseline and 6 weeks | 
| Change in lower limb joint angles during a single leg drop vertical jump | Movement quality is measured using joint angles (trunk, pelvis, hip, knee, ankle) | Difference between baseline and 6 weeks | 
| Change in lumbopelvic stability score | Lumbopelvic stability is scored using 9 clinical tests (Bend knee fall out, Active straight leg raise, prone knee bend, sitting knee extension, standing bow, pelvic tilt, one leg stance, backward rocking, forward rocking). Each test is given a score between 0 (poor performance) and 2 (good performance) adding up to a total score of 18. | Difference between baseline and 6 weeks | 
| Change in lower limb joint angles during a drop jump | Movement quality is measured using joint angles (trunk, pelvis, hip, knee, ankle) | Difference between baseline and 6 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Individualized web diagram of all outcome measurements | Baseline data on joint mobility (joint angles), strength (N), balance (Star Excursion Balance Test Score, lumbopelvic control scores) and joint angles during a drop jump and single leg drop vertical jump) are all visualized on a web diagram per athlete | Baseline | 
| Number of injuries | Description of number of injuries | Baseline information from medical investigation |