Establishing Normative Dynamic Postural Control Values in Elite Female Handball Players

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Kinesiology

Background:

• Lower extremity injuries are prevalent in young female handball players.
• The modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT) assesses dynamic postural control but lacks sport-specific normative data for handball.
• Interpreting mSEBT performance is challenging due to its sport-dependent nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normative performance ranges for the mSEBT in young, healthy female handball players.
• To provide practitioners with data for interpreting injury risk estimates.
• To facilitate better return-to-sport decisions.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 188 elite female handball players (16.8±0.9 years).
• Participants performed three trials of the mSEBT in anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions.
• Analysis included calculating means, standard deviations, 95% confidence intervals, and limb asymmetry using Bland Altman analyses.

Main Results:

• Normative mean reach distances were established for each mSEBT direction and the composite score.
• Limb asymmetry analysis revealed no significant differences between dominant and non-dominant limbs.
• No meaningful differences were found across different player positions, as values did not exceed minimum detectable differences.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first normative mSEBT performance values for elite young female handball players.
• These normative data are crucial for injury risk assessment and guiding return-to-sport protocols.
• Further prospective research is recommended to establish specific cut-off scores for this population.