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

Low Back Pain Clinical Trial

Official title:

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

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Active, not recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06252740
• Other study ID #: A-ER-110-579
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Start date: November 2, 2022
• Est. completion date: July 31, 2024

Study information

• Verified date: November 2023
• Source: National Cheng-Kung University Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial 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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Enrollment: 40
• Est. completion date: July 31, 2024
• Est. primary completion date: July 31, 2024
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 18 Years to 40 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• 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.

Exclusion Criteria:

• 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.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Back Pain
• Low Back Pain
• Thoracic

Intervention

Other:
• No intervention
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

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Taiwan	National Cheng Kung University	Tainan

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Taiwan, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Angular displacement of spine during baseball batting	Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane	immediately after enrollment
Primary	Angular displacement of hip during baseball batting	Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane	immediately after enrollment
Primary	Angular velocity of spine during baseball batting	Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane	immediately after enrollment
Primary	Angular velocity of hip during baseball batting	Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane	immediately after enrollment
Primary	Thoracic spine mobility	Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in sitting	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	Hip joint mobility	Ranges of hip internal and external rotation measured by inclinometer in sitting	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	Stiffness of biceps femoris muscle	Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	Stiffness of rectus femoris muscle	Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	Stiffness of tensor fasciae latae muscle	Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	Stiffness of glutues maximus muscle	Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	Stiffness of thoracic erector spinae muscle	Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	FABER's test	Measured as distance between knee and bed in cm	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	Straight leg raising test	Measured as hip flexion angle (with knee extended) in degree	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	Modified Thomas test	Measured as hip flexion angle (with knee flexed) in degree	immediately after enrollment
Secondary	Ober test	Measured as hip adduction angle in degree	immediately after enrollment