Relationship Between Proprioceptive Flexibility and the Occurrence of Lower Limb Ligament Injury in Pivot-contact Sports

Relationship Between Proprioceptive Flexibility and the Occurrence of Lower Limb Ligament Injury in Pivot-contact Sports

Among young athletes involved in pivot and pivot-contact sports (soccer, handball, rugby, etc.), lateral ankle sprains and lesions of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are the most frequent ligament injuries. Despite existing prevention programs, these injuries lead to prolonged downtime, risk of recurrence and long-term sequelae.

A little-studied risk factor is proprioceptive rigidity, defined as the central nervous system's difficulty in adapting the use of sensory information (proprioception) according to environment and motor context. This deficit could limit the ability to maintain balance in high-risk situations, thereby increasing the likelihood of injury.

To our knowledge, there is no evidence of a direct link between proprioceptive profile (flexible/rigid) and the incidence of lower-limb ligament injury. If such a link is established, preventive strategies focusing on the recovery of an optimal proprioceptive profile could be developed in an attempt to limit the occurrence of ligament injuries in young elite and sub-elite athletes, and thus limit the medical, financial and personal repercussions for these athletes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Athlete practicing in a high-level program
• Aged between 14 and 25
• Practicing a pivot-contact sport (rugby, soccer, handball)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lower limb injury <6 weeks prior to inclusion
• Concussion <6 weeks prior to inclusion
• Known neurological or vestibular disorder
• Lack of consent from athlete or legal guardians
• Non-affiliation with a social security scheme
• Persons under court protection
• Participant in another study with an ongoing exclusion period