Luiz Augusto Borges Gomes

The claim that sports-related injuries can be prevented faces almost no objection. However, we continue struggling to reproduce preventive effects observed in efficacy trials while implementing preventive measures in sports settings. The artificial conditions created in trials allow researchers to control individual behaviour and tackle the influence of contextual factors to maximise the effect sizes. Still, the preventive effect is conditioned to change behaviour in naturalistic conditions. Athletes should adopt and sustain behaviours of interest; otherwise, the preventive effect will be diluted. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of considering behaviour in sports injury prevention research, but guidance on better integrating behavioural sciences into the field still needs to be provided. The present article proposes a framework outlining different types of evidence needed to foster the integration of behavioural sciences into sports injury prevention. After a brief introduction, we describe the framework and present examples of research questions covered by their component paths. Finally, we present a hypothetical application of the scheme using the adoption of FIFA 11 + as the preventive behaviour of interest.

Background: Lower limb injuries generate a significant health burden in basketball. Landing technique and ankle-dorsiflexion range of motion have been suggested as risk factors for lower limb injuries among youth athletes, but studies conducted specifically with basketball athletes are lacking. Hypothesis/Purpose: To describe the period prevalence of basketball-related injuries and to examine the association of the history of lower limb injuries with landing technique and ankle-dorsiflexion range of motion asymmetry among youth basketball athletes. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Survey. Methods: Youth basketball athletes were asked to complete a paper-based survey to investigate personal characteristics, training characteristics and their three-month history of basketball-related injuries. The Landing Error Scoring System and the Weight-Bearing Lunge Test were used to evaluate landing technique and ankle-dorsiflexion range of motion. Binary logistic regression was utilized to examine the association of the investigated variables with the presence of history of lower limb injuries among the athletes. Results: A total of 534 athletes participated. The three-month prevalence of basketball-related injuries was 23.2% (95% CI 19.7 – 27), and the majority of the reported injuries affected the lower limbs (69.7%; n=110). Sprains were the most frequent type of injury (29.1%; n=46), and the ankle (30.4%; n=48) and knee (21.5%; n=34) were the most affected anatomic locations. Landing technique (p = 0.105) and ankle-dorsiflexion range of motion asymmetry (p = 0.529) were not associated with the history of lower limb injuries. Conclusion: The three-month prevalence of basketball-related injuries was 23.2%. Although ankle sprains were the most frequent injury, landing technique and ankle-dorsiflexion range of motion asymmetry were not associated with the history of lower limb injuries among youth basketball athletes. Level of Evidence: 3