Dynamic postural control in injured collegiate cross-country runners is not associated with running-related injury

Pedro Zavala; Charles Nathan Vannatta; Thomas W Kernozek; Drew N Rutherford

doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2023.06.002

Dynamic postural control in injured collegiate cross-country runners is not associated with running-related injury

Gait Posture. 2023 Jul:104:77-82. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2023.06.002. Epub 2023 Jun 9.

Authors

Pedro Zavala¹, Charles Nathan Vannatta², Thomas W Kernozek³, Drew N Rutherford³

Affiliations

¹ Sports Physical Therapy Department, Gundersen Health System, 3111 Gundersen Drive, Onalaska, WI 54650, USA.
² Sports Physical Therapy Department, Gundersen Health System, 3111 Gundersen Drive, Onalaska, WI 54650, USA; La Crosse Institute for Movement Science, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, 1300 Badger Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA. Electronic address: cnvannat@gundersenhealth.org.
³ La Crosse Institute for Movement Science, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, 1300 Badger Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA; Health Professions Department, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, 1300 Badger Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.

PMID: 37343398
DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2023.06.002

Abstract

Background: Biomechanical factors have been associated with running-related injury, but associations are unclear. Dynamic postural stability may be a factor related to injury that has not been studied extensively.

Research question: Does dynamic postural control differ in those with a history of running-related injury or those who go on to sustain a running-related injury?

Methods: Sixty-five (45 injured; 20 uninjured) and fifty-eight (13 injured; 45 uninjured) collegiate cross-country runners were available for our retrospective and prospective analyses. Time to stabilization and dynamic postural stability index were collected during two separate jump landing tasks (forward and lateral direction) for each leg. Retrospective injury was tabulated by a running history survey. Prospective injuries were recorded by a licensed athletic trainer during the competitive season. Differences in postural stability were compared between injured and uninjured groups and between limbs using two-way ANOVA's. An overall group by leg comparison was completed for each task.

Results: The non-dominant limb demonstrated better postural stability indices regardless of injury history. An interaction was observed between limbs and history of injury for the anterior-posterior time to stabilization for the lateral task. The non-dominant limb demonstrated better medio-lateral postural stability indices and time to stabilization during the lateral task, regardless of prospective injury.

Significance: Dynamic postural stability was reduced in the dominant limb, but no clear differences were seen between injured and uninjured runners. This suggests dynamic postural stability may be altered in individuals with a history of a running-related injury, but no relationship to subsequent injury was substantiated. Further work is needed to understand how dynamic postural stability may be related to running-related injury.

Keywords: Dynamic postural stability index; Postural control; Runners; Time to stabilization.

MeSH terms

Biomechanical Phenomena
Extremities
Humans
Postural Balance
Prospective Studies
Retrospective Studies
Running* / injuries