Comparison of dynamic balance in adolescent male soccer players from rwanda and the United States.

Butler, Robert J

Queen, Robin M

Beckman, Brian

Kiesel, Kyle B

Plisky, Phillip J

United States

2014-06-20T02:29:56Z

2013-12

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Dynamic balance is an important component of motor skill development. Poor dynamic balance has previously been associated with sport related injury. However, the vast majority of dynamic balance studies as they relate to sport injury have occurred in developed North American or European countries. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare dynamic balance in adolescent male soccer players from Rwanda to a matched group from the United States. METHODS: Twenty-six adolescent male soccer players from Rwanda and 26 age- and gender-matched control subjects from the United States were screened using the Lower Quarter Y Balance Test during their pre-participation physical. Reach asymmetry (cm) between limbs was examined for all reach directions. In addition, reach distance in each direction (normalized to limb length, %LL) and the composite reach score (also normalized to %LL) were examined. Dependent samples t-tests were performed with significant differences identified at p<0.05. RESULTS: Twenty-six male soccer players from Rwanda (R) were matched to twenty-six male soccer players from the United States (US). The Rwandan soccer players performed better in the anterior (R: 83.9 ± 3.2 %LL; US: 76.5 ± 6.6 %LL, p<0.01), posterolateral (R: 114.4 ± 8.3 %LL ; US: 106.5 ± 8.2 %LL, p<0.01) and composite (R: 105.6 ± 1.3 %LL; US: 97.8 ± 6.2 %LL, p<0.01) reach scores. No significant differences between groups were observed for reach asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent soccer players from Rwanda exhibit superior performance on a standardized dynamic balance test as comparison to similar athletes from the United States. The examination of movement abilities of athletes from countries of various origins may allow for a greater understanding of the range of true normative values for dynamic balance. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: 3b.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24377061

https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8907

eng

Int J Sports Phys Ther

Global

Injury risk factor

Star Excursion Balance Test

Comparison of dynamic balance in adolescent male soccer players from rwanda and the United States.

Journal article

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24377061

749

755

6

Clinical Science Departments

Duke

Faculty

Orthopaedics

Orthopaedics, Physical Therapy

School of Medicine

Published

8