A lateral jump assessment may provide unique benefits in sports such as basketball that require multidirectional performance optimization. This study aimed to examine selected force-plate derived metrics as predictors of lateral jump task distance in men’s basketball players. Twenty-two NCAA Division-I men’s basketball players (19.4 ± 1.3 years, 95.0 ± 12.5 kg, 196.5 ± 8.1 cm) each performed six single leg lateral jumps while standing on a force plate (1200 Hz, Kistler Instrument Corp). The lateral jump task involved the subject beginning by standing on the force plate and jumping sideways off one foot and then landing on the floor with the opposite foot. Three-dimensional ground reaction force curves were used to identify the eccentric and concentric phases of the jump and variables were computed each from the lateral (y), vertical (z), and resultant (r) force traces. Peak ground reaction force (pGRF), ground reaction force angle (θ_r), eccentric braking rate of force development (ECC-RFD), average concentric force (CON-AVG), total jump duration, eccentric phase duration, and eccentric to total time ratio were evaluated for predictive ability. Three regression models were able to significantly (p<0.05) predict jump distance: (1) pGRF_y, pGRF_z, and θ_r (p<0.001, R² = 0.273), (2) Relative pGRF_y, Relative pGRF_z, and θ_r ((p<0.001, R² = 0.214), and (3) Relative CON-AVG_y and Relative pGRF_r (p<0.001, R² = 0.552). While several force plate-derived metrics were identified as significant predictors, a model with Relative CON-AVG_y and Relative pGRF_r explained a greater variability in performance (R² = 0.55) compared to the other variables which were low, yet also significant. These results suggest that lateral ground reaction forces can be used to evaluate lateral jump performance with the use of three-dimensional force plates. The identified predictors can be used as a starting point for performance monitoring, as basketball training interventions can be directed at specific improvements in the identified metrics.

An assessment of protocol reliability is an essential step prior to human subject testing for injury prevention. The purpose of this study was to examine the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of a portable cervical range of motion and isometric strength protocol designed for special forces combat soldiers who are at risk for cervical spine pain and injury due to exposure to head-supported mass. Eight individuals were tested three times to assess reliability, the standard error of the measurement (SEM), and the minimal detectable change across six range of motion measures and six strength measures of the cervical spine. One tester tested all participants twice for intra-rater reliability, and a second tester assessed the participants to examine inter-tester reliability. All reliability measures demonstrated good to excellent reliability (ICC = 0.70–0.96 (isometric strength); ICC = 0.85–0.94 (range of motion)). All SEM scores were 12% or lower for all reliability measures. The findings of this study demonstrate that the protocol developed for a longitudinal multi-site study is reliable and appropriate to implement for injury prevention in military personnel.

Introduction: Female military personnel are increasingly performing high-risk tasks in operationally challenging environments, including roles that require routine exposure to head-supported mass (HSM). However, sex-specific differences in cervical spine (CS) injury, pain and musculoskeletal characteristics among special operations combat soldiers (SOCSs) remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine potential differences in CS injury, pain and musculoskeletal characteristics in male and female SOCSs. Methods: The study population included 297 SOCSs, including 284 males and 13 females. Data were collected on CS injuries, HSM exposure, military demographic information, CS pain and CS range of motion and strength. Acute injury incidence rates were calculated retrospectively for the preceding calendar year. Results: The acute injury incidence rate was higher in females than males, but this difference was not statistically significant, with a wide CI due to the small female subgroup (risk ratio (RR): 2.09, 95% CI 0.88 to 4.95). Females also reported fewer years of HSM exposure and fewer parachute jumps. A greater proportion of females (69%) sustained one or more parachute-related injuries compared with males (43%). Furthermore, female injuries had a greater operational impact, as they were most likely to result in time loss or restricted duty (females: 44%, males: 28%), medical professional visits (females: 73%, males: 53%) and require treatment (females: 87%, males: 60%). Both sexes reported high rates of CS pain during military activity (females: 92%, males: 88%). While CS range of motion was similar between sexes, females were significantly weaker across all strength measures. Conclusion: Females in this SOCS cohort demonstrated a higher observed, but statistically nonsignificant, acute CS injury rate compared with males. These exploratory findings suggest that the lower strength capabilities of females, combined with identical equipment loads and similar operational demands, may contribute to the more frequent pain and injury incidence in females. Future research should investigate this association in larger cohorts and explore how CS strengthening, equipment modification and training demands may mitigate risk for female SOCSs.