Preventing Injury in Elite Orienteerers

Preventing Lower Extremity Injury in Elite Orienteerers

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect a specific exercise program on the incidence of injuries in the lower extremity. 72 elite orienteerers, aged 18-40 years, are allocated to an intervention or control group. The intervention group performs four specific exercises, four times a week (10 minutes per session) in conjunction with normal training. Injury data are collected every second week using valid injury questionnaire distributed by text messages over 14 weeks. Primary outcome is number of substantial injuries in the lower extremity. Secondary outcomes are incidence of ankle sprains and the average substantial injury prevalence across the 10 weeks.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Lower Extremity Injury
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Exercise program

Detailed Description

The high physical load associated with running through uneven terrain contributes to that orienteerers are exposed to high injury risk, where the majority of injuries located in the lower extremities. Specific training programmes have been effective at reducing injury risk in sports. Yet, not trial has been conducted in elite orienteering. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect a specific exercise program on the incidence of injuries in the lower extremity. 72 elite orienteerers, aged 18-40 years, are allocated to an intervention or control group. The intervention group performs four specific exercises, with three difficult levels intensified every second week over the first four weeks, targeting strength, flexibility and coordination of the lower extremity. The exercises are completed four times a week (10 minutes per session) in conjunction with normal training. Injury data are collected every second week using valid injury questionnaire distributed by text messages over 14 weeks. Primary outcome is number of substantial injuries in the lower extremity. Secondary outcomes are incidence of ankle sprains and the average substantial injury prevalence across the 10 weeks. Participants will be recruited in January-February 2018. The intervention starts in February 2018 and data collection will be completed in June 2018. Data analyses are expected to be completed in October-November 2018.

Due to high injury risk and lack of injury prevention trials in orienteering, a RCT investigating the effect of a specific exercise program on the incidence of injuries in the lower extremity, is warranted. The results of this trial will be beneficial to orienteerers, clubs, federations and increase our understanding on how lower extremity injuries can be prevented in a physically challenging sport.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 66
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Sweden
  • Huddinge, Sweden, 141 52
    • Karolinska Institutet

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 40 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Adult elite orienteerers Aged 18-40 years Participating in the highest national orienteering league (Swedish League) Participant inclusion criteria - Age group: Adult Participant inclusion criteria - Gender: Both

Exclusion Criteria:

Injured adult elite orienteerers not able to perform baseline tests

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: PREVENTION
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: DOUBLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention; The intervention consists of an exercise program developed by the medical team of the National Federation of Orienteering. Specifically, it consists of four exercises targeting strength, flexibility and coordination of the lower extremity. The orienteerers are asked to perform the exercises four times a week throughout the entire study period. The exercises are heel rises, runners pose, single leg stance and one-leg jumps with three difficult levels aiming to mainly improve lower extremity strength and neuromuscular function (online supplement). Each second week the exercises' difficulty level is increased.	Other: Exercise program; The orienteerers are asked to perform specific exercises four times a week throughout the entire study period. The exercises are heel rises, runners pose, single leg stance and one-leg jumps with three difficult levels aiming to mainly improve lower extremity strength and neuromuscular function. Each second week the exercises' difficulty level is increased.
No Intervention: Control; Normal training, no intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Lower extremity injury	Number of substantial injuries in the lower extremity	March-June 2018 (10 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Ankle sprain	Incidence of ankle sprains injuries	March-June 2018 (10 weeks)
Substantial injury	The average substantial injury prevalence	March-June 2018 (10 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Karolinska Institutet
• Investigators: Study Chair: Philip von Rosen, Karolinska Insitute

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• von Rosen P, Halvarsson B. Preventing lower extremity injury in elite orienteerers: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018 Apr 20;4(1):e000347. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000347. eCollection 2018.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 27, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 20, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): October 15, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 16, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): January 24, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 20, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 18, 2020
• Last Verified: February 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: elite orienteering
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Wounds and Injuries
• Other Study ID Numbers: 4-1645/2017

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No