Musculoskeletal injuries are prevalent in the NBA and are associated with a significant number of games missed. There is a lack of reference data for clinical measures in NBA players, making it difficult for sports medicine professionals to set goals and develop programs.
Hypothesis:
Values for clinical measures in NBA players will differ from those of the general population but will not differ between dominant (D) and nondominant (ND) limbs.
Study Design:
Descriptive laboratory study.
Level of Evidence:
Level 3.
Methods:
Clinical measures were taken on 325 players invited to NBA training camp (2008-2022). Measures included range of motion for great toe extension, hip rotation, weightbearing ankle dorsiflexion, flexibility, arch height (AH) indices, and tibial varum.
Results:
Clinical values for NBA players differ from reference norms of the general population. Results for NBA players include great toe extension (D, 40.4°; ND, 39.3°), 90/90 hamstring (D, 41.5°; ND, 40.9°), hip internal rotation (D, 29.0°; ND, 28.8°), hip external rotation (D, 29.7°; ND, 30.9°), total hip rotation (D, 60.2°; ND, 60.4°), Ely (D, 109.9°; ND, 108.8°), AH difference (D, 0.5 mm; ND, 0.5 mm), AH index (D, 0.310; ND, 0.307), arch stiffness (D, 0.024; ND, 0.024), arch rigidity (D, 0.924; ND, 0.925), tibial varum (D, 4.6°; ND, 4.5°), and weightbearing ankle dorsiflexion (D, 35.4°; ND, 35.6°). Descriptive statistics are presented; 2-tailed paired t tests show that, whereas most measures demonstrated differences between sides, the results were not statistically significant.
Conclusion:
Clinical measures of NBA players differ from those reported for the general population and athletes of other sports although there were no statistically significant differences between D and ND limbs.
Clinical Relevance:
Establishing a reference database may help clinicians develop more sensitive and more effective preseason and return-to-play screening processes, aiding the management of player orthopaedic care and reducing injury risk.
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