Prevention of ACL injuries in handball player

Rukomet je timski sport koji zahtjeva velike fizičke napore od igrača u kojima dolazi do različitih ozljeda velikog broja. Rukomet kao sport karakteriziraju različiti oblici kretnji, kao što su: kontrolirani i nekontrolirani skokovi, iznenadne promjene smjera, trčanje te bacanja. Ozljede su česte, no ipak ozljede koljena (ruptura ACL-a) predstavlja područje najčešćeg ozljeđivanja. Svrha i cilj ovog diplomskog rada je pregled relevantne dostupne literature o prevenciji ozljeda ACL-a i implementaciji u rukometu. Prikazana je anatomija i biomehanika zgloba koljena, njihove karakteristike te višekomponentni program preventivnog treninga. Integracija navedenih komponenti i neuromuskularnog treninga pokazuju se najučinkovitijom metodom. Neophodna je važnost uzimanja u obzir specifičnih karakteristika sportaša u dizajniranju trenažnog procesa. Preventivni trening bi trebao biti implementiran kao dio sportaševog predsezonskog i sezonskog treninga. Provedba programa se preporučuje od najranije dobi i osobito je korisna ukoliko želimo optimizirati čimbenike motoričkog učenja i zadržati poboljšanu neuromuskularnu kontrolu s naglaskom na smanjenje rizika od ozljeda.Handball is a team sport that requires great physical demands from the players, in which a large number of different injuries occur. Handball as a sport is characterized by different forms of movements, such as: controlled and uncontrolled jumps, running, throwing and sudden changes of direction. Injuries are common, but knee injuries (ACL rupture) are the area of most frequent injuries. The purpose and goal of this thesis is to review relevant available literature on ACL injury prevention and implementation in handball. Numerous risk factors and the specific mechanism of injury are described. The anatomy and biomechanics of the knee joint are presented together with the functional characteristics of certain structures in the knee. A multi-component preventive training program is presented that includes (feedback on technique and quality of movement in combination with exercises from the following categories: strength, flexibility, mobility, plyometrics, agility and proprioception). The integration of the mentioned components and neuromuscular training prove to be the most effective method. It is crucial to take into account the specific characteristics of athletes in designing the training process. Preventive training should be implemented as part of the athlete's preseason and season training. Implementation of the program is recommended from an early age and is particularly useful if we want to optimize motor learning factors and maintain improved neuromuscular control with the aim of reducing the risk of injury