Relationship between screening results and injury in female adolescent dance students

Purnell, Melinda B App Sc (Physio Hons), B App A (Dance), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Shirley, Debra PhD (Physio), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;  Adams, Roger PhD (Pyschology), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and Nicholson, Leslie PhD (Physio), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Purpose - To investigate the occurrence of injury in adolescent female dance students, and identify the physical screening measures which are most associated with these injuries.

Method - Fifty-one classical ballet and contemporary dance students aged between 11 and 14 years were assessed using a widely accepted dance screening form. Associations with injury were examined by Pearson?s correlation, ANOVA and ROC curves. 

Results - Most subjects reported a history of injury (71%) with 49% sustaining an injury within the past 12 months. A history of chronic injury was reported by 22% of subjects. Sites of injury were predominately the ankle, knee, hip and foot, with the majority of injuries involving the right side. 

The most significant factors associated with sustaining multiple injuries were a left soleus (calf) flexibility of ? 8.5 cm (p=0.001), a right soleus flexibility of ? 9.25 cm (p=0.011) and a right active hip external rotation range of ? 30.5° (p=0.019). Poor performance on the hop test on the left and a left active hip external rotation range of ? 30.5° both significantly correlated with an increased injury incidence to the left knee (p=0.006 and 0.003 respectively). Subjects who were aged 13 years and trained 8.25 hours per week were more likely to have reported sustaining an injury in the previous 12 months (p=0.001). 

Conclusion - The results indicate that specific parameters for calf length and active hip external rotation are associated with injury. The results also suggest that assessment of a student?s hop landing technique may be associated with knee injury. Further research is warranted to determine if biomechanics of landing technique and muscle length are injury sequelae or injury risk factors in adolescent dance students.