Investigation of Regional Interdependence of the Hip and Spine in Baseball Players With Low Back Pain

NCT06252740 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: A-ER-110-579
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal symptom in athletes. More than 40% percent of high school baseball players reported incidents of LBP during the previous year. University baseball athletes were 3.23 times more likely to have lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration than the nonathletic university students. According to the regional interdependence model, a patient's chief complaints may be directly or indirectly related to or influenced by physical impairments from various body systems and regardless of proximity to the primary symptom(s). Athletes with a chief complaint of LBP frequently demonstrate with mobility restrictions in the thoracic spine and hips, which may contribute to compensatory hypermobility in the lumbar spine and subsequently lead to LBP. Few studies have examined the relationship between thoracic spine mobility and LBP, while many studies investigating the relationship between hip joint mobility and LBP in athletes showed inconsistent results. The inconsistent results may be due to different types of sports and measurement methods. Therefore, the objectives of this research project are to: (1) examine if baseball players with a history of LBP have mobility restriction in the thoracic spine and hips and movement coordination within the spine and hip regions during baseball batting that are different from those without a history of LBP; (2) identify thoracic spine and hip joint mobility and coordination related predictors for batting velocity and LBP in baseball players. This 2-year research project plans to recruitment a total of 110 male baseball players aged between 18 and 30 years from university and community recreational league baseball teams (55 players with a history of LBP and 55 age-matched players without a history of LBP). Participants will receive physical examination for the thoracic spine and hip joints (joint mobility and muscle stiffness) and 3D motion analysis for baseball batting. The results of this research project will guide the development of more specific and effective treatment and preventative training for baseball players with LBP and enhance their batting performance.

Conditions

Low Back Pain; Thoracic

Keywords

Baseball batting; Motion analysis; Regional interdependence,; Hip; Joint mobility; Muscle stiffness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Angular displacement of spine during baseball batting

  Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane

  immediately after enrollment

• Angular displacement of hip during baseball batting

  Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane

  immediately after enrollment

• Angular velocity of spine during baseball batting

  Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane

  immediately after enrollment

• Angular velocity of hip during baseball batting

  Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane

  immediately after enrollment

• Thoracic spine mobility

  Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in sitting

  immediately after enrollment

Secondary Outcomes (10)

• Hip joint mobility

  immediately after enrollment

• Stiffness of biceps femoris muscle

  immediately after enrollment

• Stiffness of rectus femoris muscle

  immediately after enrollment

• Stiffness of tensor fasciae latae muscle

  immediately after enrollment

• Stiffness of glutues maximus muscle

  immediately after enrollment

Study Arms (2)

control group

Baseball players without a history of low back pain

Other: No intervention

experimental group

Baseball players with a history of low back pain

Other: No intervention

Interventions

No intervention OTHER

Comare the difference in batting mechanics, hip and thoracic spine mobility, and muscle stiffness in baseball players with and without a history of low back pain

control group; experimental group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

university and recreational leagues baseball teams

You may qualify if:

• Baseball players who had experienced at least 2 episodes of LBP that limits their performance for a period of greater than 3 days in the previous year.

You may not qualify if:

• Current LBP symptoms including weakness and numbness in the lower extremities
• Previous surgery to the back, upper or lower extremities
• Marked spinal deformity (e.g., scoliosis, or kyphosis)
• Any other orthopedic or medical problem that would have limited their ability to fully participate in baseball training and competition in the last year.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Cheng-Kung University Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

National Cheng Kung University

Tainan, 701, Taiwan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Low Back Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Back Pain; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 16, 2023
• First Posted: February 12, 2024
• Study Start: November 2, 2022
• Primary Completion: July 31, 2024
• Study Completion: July 31, 2024
• Last Updated: February 12, 2024

Record last verified: 2023-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TW (1)