Using BlazePod® for Pre-Season Screening of Lower Limb Injury Risk

NCT07505537 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: AveiroU
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Preventing lower limb injuries is a key concern in sports and physical activities. Even though injury prevention programs and pre-season screening have improved recently, these injuries still happen often. New technology might help improve traditional screening methods. The BlazePod® system offers a fresh, active way to assess function and train physical skills. This study aims to explore the link between the BlazePod® One-Leg Balance Activity (OLBA) test and the Y-Balance Test (YBT) in healthy young adults. Using kinematic analysis, we want to see if the OLBA test can serve as a preseason tool to predict ankle injuries. Participants will complete the YBT, the Weight-Bearing Lunge Test, and the OLBA test with the BlazePod® system, along with the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. We will record all tests using the Vicon T20S 3D motion capture system and analyze the data with MOKKA software. We expect to find a significant positive correlation between the average taps in the BlazePod® test and the combined YBT score. These results could show that the OLBA test with BlazePod® is a useful way to assess ankle injury risk.

Conditions

Dynamic Balance; Range of Motion, Articular

Keywords

Pre-season tests; Flash Reflex Training system; Injury risk assessment; Ankle range of motion; lower limb injury risk

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• One Leg Balance Activity with the Blazepod

  The One-Leg Balance Activity will be assessed using the BlazePod® system to quantify the number of taps a participant can perform within 60 seconds while maintaining balance. During the test, pods illuminate in an alternating sequence, and participants are required to respond by tapping each light as quickly as possible without losing postural stability.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 week.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Dynamic Balance

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 week.

• Ankle dorsiflexion range of motion

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 week.

Study Arms (3)

Ankle Range of Motion

The weight-bearing lunge test will be executed using kinematic analysis to assess ankle range of motion.

Dynamic Balance

The Y-Balance Test will be executed to assess dynamic balance, namely, the reach distance of the lower limb obtained in the 3 reach directions, normalised with the lower leg length of the participant.

One Leg Balance Activity - OLBA Test

The one-leg balance activity will be executed with the Blazepod reflex training system, where the participant has to tap the pod that lights up during 60 seconds as fast as possible without losing balance.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Active university students of both sexes, aged ≥18 years, that practice physical activity regularly and without recent complaints in the lower limbs or spine will be recruited for the study.

You may qualify if:

• Individuals aged ≥18 years, practicing physical activity, and without recent complaints in the lower limbs or spine will be included.

You may not qualify if:

• Participants with federated sports practice, recent history of ankle sprain, surgery or musculoskeletal injury in the lower limb, as well as systemic pathologies affecting balance or neuromotor control will be excluded.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Aveiro University: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Aveiro

Aveiro, Aveiro District, 3810-193, Portugal

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Flores FS, Lourenco J, Phan L, Jacobs S, Willig RM, Marconcin PEP, Casanova N, Soares D, Clemente FM, Silva AF. Evaluation of Reaction Time during the One-Leg Balance Activity in Young Soccer Players: A Pilot Study. Children (Basel). 2023 Apr 19;10(4):743. doi: 10.3390/children10040743.

  PMID: 37189992 BACKGROUND

• Plisky P, Schwartkopf-Phifer K, Huebner B, Garner MB, Bullock G. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Y-Balance Test Lower Quarter: Reliability, Discriminant Validity, and Predictive Validity. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2021 Oct 1;16(5):1190-1209. doi: 10.26603/001c.27634. eCollection 2021.

  PMID: 34631241 BACKGROUND

• Powden CJ, Hoch JM, Hoch MC. Reliability and minimal detectable change of the weight-bearing lunge test: A systematic review. Man Ther. 2015 Aug;20(4):524-32. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2015.01.004. Epub 2015 Jan 29.

  PMID: 25704110 BACKGROUND

Central Study Contacts

Mário Lopes Professor, PhD

CONTACT

00351234372456; mariolopes77@ua.pt

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 26, 2026
• First Posted: April 1, 2026
• Study Start: April 6, 2026
• Primary Completion: April 13, 2026
• Study Completion: April 13, 2026
• Last Updated: April 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

PT (1)