PERFORMANCE MOTION ANALYSIS UNABLE TO PREDICT RUNNING-RELATED INJURY IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETES

The purpose of this study was to determine if a 3D motion capture system’s performance motion analysis (PMA) report is capable of identifying factors predictive of running-related injury (RRI) among collegiate distance runners during a cross country season. Thirty-one collegiate cross country runners (17 male, 14 female, mean age = 20.5 ± 1.4 years) gave their consent to participate in the investigation. Subjects were screened in the motion capture system and provided with PMA reports assessing their movement quality using several variables (composite score, power, strength, dysfunction, and vulnerability, based on measurements of 192 kinetic and kinematic variables). The athletes were then monitored throughout their 13-week competitive season for incidence of RRI. At the end of the season, participants were sorted into injured (n=17) and uninjured (n=14) groups. Injury was defined as appearing on the team injury report as missing or being limited in practice or competition for a week or more, in accordance with prior RRI research. Each sex was also separated into groups based on injury status. Independent samples t-tests (p