No Alterations in ACL Injury Risk Factors in Preadolescent Elite Female Handball Players Following an Eight-Week...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Adolescent female handball players face a high risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
• Early intervention during preadolescence is critical for developing motor strategies and potentially preventing injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of an 8-week ACL injury prevention program (ACL-IPP) on modifiable neuromuscular and biomechanical risk factors in preadolescent female handball players.
• To assess the retention effects of the ACL-IPP 8 weeks post-intervention.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 35 elite preadolescent female handball players (11-13 years old).
• Participants were randomized into an ACL-IPP group (n=18) or a control group (n=17) performing shoulder injury exercises.
• Supervised training sessions were conducted twice weekly for 15 minutes over 8 weeks.
• Biomechanical and neuromuscular assessments of side-cutting maneuvers were performed at baseline, post-intervention, and 8-week follow-up.

Main Results:

• No significant between-group differences were found in semitendinosus pre-activity, isometric hip external rotation strength, hip flexion, knee internal rotation, or peak knee abduction moments.
• No retention effects of the intervention were observed at the 16-week follow-up.

Conclusions:

• The 8-week ACL-IPP was insufficient to induce meaningful improvements in ACL injury risk factors in this population.
• Longer intervention duration, increased training volume, or modified exercise selection may be necessary to achieve neuromuscular and biomechanical adaptations in preadolescent female handball players.