Hip Range of Motion in Professional Basketball Players
2Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Objective:
To investigate normal values of hip range of motion (ROM) in professional basketball players to provide a better understanding of the unique characteristic of basketball players.
Methods:
All study participants were active basketball players in the Israeli Basketball League age 18 and above. Exclusion criteria included active injury that precludes the player from training playing and active pain in the hip. All participants underwent physical examination for hip ROM by a single physician, to minimize inspector bias, using the S-Digit mini electronic inclinometer product of GEO-FENNEL™.
Descriptive statistics were calculated for all background characteristics, univariable analyses were conducted and One sample T test was employed to compare players’ mean hip joint range of motion to the general population’s normal range of motion as described in literature.
Results:
Fifty-one players from 5 clubs were included. As a statistically significant difference between the dominant and the contralateral hip ROM, within each player, was found, in almost all range of motion, the statistical analysis was conducted for each side separately. In terms of ethnicity, external rotation (ER) range of motion was found to be significantly higher in players descending from Mediterranean origin compared to African-American ethnicity. As for other ROMs, no statistically significant difference was found. No statistical relevant difference was observed between age groups. In single sided t-test comparing to base-line ROM established in textbooks; Flexion 120, extension 30, adduction 30, abduction 45, internal rotation 40, and ER 45, a significant lower hip ROM was found in almost all ranges.
Conclusion:
This study should be taken as a step further in better understanding the hip joint in professional athletes and as a benchmark study that allow us to further investigate the reasons for the diminished hip ROM in professional basketball athletes as compared to normal ROM described in literature.