The Influence Of Unilateral Pelvic Rotation On Upper-Leg

Musculoskeletal Injuries In Collegiate Male Soccer Players

Matt Nelson, ATS; Beth Funkhouser, MEd, VATL, ATC, CSCS- Clinical Coordinator
Athletic Training Education Program, Emory & Henry College, Emory, Virginia

Abstract
Objective: To examine the influence of unilateral pelvic rotation on
upper-leg musculoskeletal injuries in collegiate male soccer players.
Design: This is a non-experimental research study design.

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of
unilateral pelvic rotation on upper-leg musculoskeletal injuries in
collegiate male soccer players.

Setting: This study took place on the campus of Emory & Henry
College in the King Athletic Center Athletic Training Room.
METHODS
Subjects: Twenty-seven male collegiate soccer players from Emory &
Henry College.
Measurements: Using a standard tape measure, I measured true leg
length, apparent leg length, and thigh girth. Using a standard
goniometer, I measured hip active range of motion for flexion,
extension, internal rotation, external rotation, abduction, and
adduction. I performed the Long-Sitting test with the Weber-Barstow
maneuver to examine the subjects pelvic rotation. I also compared
ASIS, PSIS, and iliac crest height to evaluate the subjects pelvic
alignment. Each subject completed a brief questionnaire that asked
position, leg dominance, and any previous injuries to the lower
extremity.
RESULTS: Out of the 27 members of the mens soccer team, there
were 16 players who experienced an upper-leg musculoskeletal injury.
Of those 16 that had an upper-leg musculoskeletal injury, 10 players
had a pelvic malalignment. Out of the 10 players that had a pelvic
malalignment, seven of the soccer players sustained an upper-leg
injury that was ipsilateral to the pelvic malalignment.
CONCLUSION/DISCUSSION: Statistical analysis showed a
significant correlation between true leg length, pelvic alignment, and
pelvic rotation with injury susceptibility. There was no correlation
found between age, position, years played, and injuries. From the six
subjects that suffered from an upper-leg musculoskeletal injury but
showed no pelvic malalignment, three of them had a specific
mechanism for an acute muscular injury. It can be concluded from
this study that there is a strong connection between pelvic
malalignment and upper-leg musculoskeletal injuries in collegiate
male soccer players.

Introduction
In the 2012 soccer season, more than half of the athletes on
the Emory & Henry Mens soccer team suffered from an
upper-leg musculoskeletal injury. After further evaluation, it
became apparent that a majority of the injured athletes had a
pelvic malalignment. This prompted me to complete a
research study looking at the influence of unilateral pelvic
rotation on upper-leg musculoskeletal injuries in collegiate
male soccer players.
TEMPLATE DESIGN 2008

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Methods
Subjects: Twenty-seven male collegiate soccer players from
Emory & Henry College with age = 19.6 1.4 years, mass =
75.3 6.5 kg, height = 177.7 7.4 cm. and years playing
competitive soccer = 11.3 2.6 years.
Measurements: After agreeing to the informed consent
statement, the athletes answered a brief questionnaire that
asked their age, height, weight, position, leg dominance,
number of years playing competitive soccer, and any previous
injuries to their lower extremities. Once the questionnaire was
completed, measurements were taken. Using a standard tape
measure, I measured true leg length and apparent leg length to
asses for a leg length discrepancy. I also used the tape
measure to measure thigh girth, which would look for a
muscular imbalance between the athletes dominant and nondominant legs. Using a standard goniometer, I measured hip
active range of motion for flexion, extension, internal rotation,
external rotation, abduction, and adduction to look for
differences in flexibility between the athletes dominant and nondominant leg. I performed the Long-Sitting test with the WeberBarstow maneuver to examine the subjects pelvic rotation. I
also compared ASIS, PSIS, and iliac crest height to evaluate
the athletes pelvic alignment

Statistical Analysis

I used the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Science Inc.
Chicago, IL. to run all of the correlations. All the correlations
that I ran were Bivariate & Multivariate Pearson Single-Tailed
correlations. I ran correlations between ASIS height and
injuries, apparent leg length and injuries, true leg length and
injuries, age and injuries, years played and injuries, right and
left thigh girth and injuries, and ASIS height, Iliac Crest height,
PSIS height, and Long-Sitting test and injuries.

Results
Out of the 27 members of the mens soccer team, there were 16
players who experienced an upper-leg musculoskeletal injury. Of
those 16 who had an upper-leg musculoskeletal injury, 10 players
had a pelvic malalignment. Out of the 10 players who had a pelvic
malalignment, seven of the soccer players sustained an upper-leg
injury that was ipsilateral to the pelvic malalignment. Statistical
analysis showed a 0.026 correlation between right true leg length
and injuries, and it showed a 0.047 correlation between left true leg
length and injuries. Correlations for right and left true leg length
was significant at the 0.05 level. Both right and left apparent leg
length correlation with injuries was 0.107, with a significant level of
0.01. There was a 0.286 correlation between age and injuries.
Years playing competitive soccer had a correlation of 0.256 with
injuries. There was also a correlation between pelvic malalignment,
uneven true leg lengths, and unilateral pelvic rotation with injury
susceptibility.
Photos

Discussion
The primary findings were that unilateral pelvic rotations have a
considerable influence on upper-leg musculoskeletal injuries in
collegiate male soccer players. Statistical analysis showed a
significant correlation between true leg length, pelvic alignment,
and pelvic rotation with injury susceptibility. Of the 10 athletes
that had a pelvic malalignment, nine had a unilateral posteriorly
rotated pelvis, while only one had a unilateral anteriorly rotated
pelvis. From the six subjects that suffered from an upper-leg
musculoskeletal injury but showed no pelvic malalignment, three
of them had a specific mechanism for an acute muscular injury.
There was no correlation found between age, position, years
played, and injuries. Because there was no correlation between
age and years played with injuries, it can be concluded that overuse was not a cause for any of the athletes injuries. It was also
found that there were no notable difference in thigh girth between
the athletes dominant and non-dominant leg. From the data
collection, it was found that a majority of the athletes had an
increase in active range of motion for extension in their dominant
leg, as compared to their non-dominant leg. There were four
athletes where this was not the case, of these four, two sustained
an upper-leg injury and two had not sustained an injury. It can be
concluded from this study that there is a strong connection
between pelvic malalignment and upper-leg musculoskeletal
injuries in collegiate male soccer players.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Emory & Henry Mens Soccer team for
their participation in this study.
I would especially like to thank Beth Funkhouser for her
patience and continued help that she provided me throughout
my study.
And to my fellow Senior Athletic Training Students, without the
support that we share for one another, we would not have
accomplished all of our goals.
Contact Information
Matt Nelson, ATS
DC Cobler, EdD, VATL, ATC, CSCS- Program Director
Beth Funkhouser, MEd, VATL, ATC, CSCS- Clinical Coordinator
Emory & Henry College
Athletic Training Education Program
PO Box 947
Emory, Virginia 24327

T: 276.944.6500
F: 276.944.6738
E: dccobler@ehc.edu