The Coronal Alignment of Lower Limbs in the Adolescent Football and Ice Hockey Players

To investigate the influence of sport-specific activities on coronal axial alignment of the lower limbs in adolescent football and ice hockey players.

This cross-sectional study targeted healthy adolescent male football and ice hockey players with at least 3 years of sports participation. 90 football and 38 ice hockey players aged 12-16 years were divided into five age-matched subgroups. Coronal alignment of the lower limbs was determined by measuring the players' intercondylar or intermalleolar (ICD-IMD) distance with a custom-made calliper. In addition, their sports history was recorded. An age-matched comparison between the two sports groups was performed using the two-way model ANOVA and a multiple regression model for ICD-IMD was constructed. Results were additionally compared with age-matched data from the general population published in recent literature.

A statistically significant increase in ICD-IMD values (p < 0.05) was found between 12 (football 0 mm; ice hockey - 64 mm) and 16 years (football 340 mm; ice hockey 310 mm) in both sports groups. Results of regression analysis of pooled group data showed that ICD-IMD has low positive correlation (r = 0.407; r² = 0.168; p < 0.05) with time of participation in sport, but no association with age of athletes at the start of their sport participation (r = - 0.018; r² = 0.000; p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups at any time point. Both sports groups showed a significant increase in ICD-IMD values (mean 198 mm) after the age of 14 compared to the general population.

Participation in football and ice hockey is associated with a similar increase in ICD-IMD in the adolescent years in male athletes. The observed increase was higher in both groups of athletes than in their peers who do not regularly participate in sports.

Level 4 (case series).