Frontal Plane Body Posture as a Predictor of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Amateur Athletes: A Comprehensive Study of...

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate frontal plane body posture parameters as injury risk factors during physical activity in the previous 12 months. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study sample consisted of 41 males aged 21.3±1.1 years old and 48 females aged 20.8±0.6. To evaluate body posture, we assessed differences in the height of the acromion process (SSA) and differences in the height of the shoulder blades (LSAS), differences in the distance of the lower angles of the shoulder blades and spine (LSPD), differences in the height of the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), and the maximum deflection of spinous process line from the line C7-S1 (PTA). The Injury History Questionnaire was used for injury data collection from the previous 12 months. The parameters were assessed for their ability to distinguish between injured and non-injured individuals using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) method. RESULTS The results suggest that LSPD is a significantly (P=0.028) better predictor of injury than other body posture parameters. The cut-off points for risk of injury based on the assessed body posture parameters demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy higher than chance, except for LSAS and PTA (AUC >0.5). In addition, there were no sex differences in the predictive potential of detecting injuries between males and females. CONCLUSIONS The LSPD has the greatest predictive value for musculoskeletal injuries. Our results suggest that body posture parameters, irrespective of sex, independently influence injury risk, emphasizing the need for preventive strategies targeting athletes' trunk and shoulder regions.