title: Can pre-season fitness measures predict time to injury in varsity athletes?: a retrospective case control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ability to determine athletic performance in varsity athletes using preseason measures has been established. The ability of pre-season performance measures and athlete's exposure to predict the incidence of injuries is unclear. Thus our purpose was to determine the ability of pre-season measures of athletic performance to predict time to injury in varsity athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male and female varsity athletes competing in basketball, volleyball and ice hockey participated in this study. The main outcome measures were injury prevalence, time to injury (based on calculated exposure) and pre-season fitness measures as predictors of time to injury. Fitness measures were Apley's range of motion, push-up, curl-ups, vertical jump, modified Illinois agility, and sit-and-reach. Cox regression models were used to identify which baseline fitness measures were predictors of time to injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-six percent of the athletes reported 1 or more injuries. Mean times to initial injury were significantly different for females and males (40.6% and 66.1% of the total season (p < 0.05), respectively). A significant univariate correlation was observed between push-up performance and time to injury (Pearson's r = 0.332, p < 0.01). No preseason fitness measure impacted the hazard of injury. Regardless of sport, female athletes had significantly shorter time to injury than males (Hazard Ratio = 2.2, p < 0.01). Athletes playing volleyball had significantly shorter time to injury (Hazard Ratio = 4.2, p < 0.01) compared to those playing hockey or basketball.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When accounting for exposure, gender, sport and fitness measures, prediction of time to injury was influenced most heavily by gender and sport.
authors: Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Kennedy
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors: Robyn
authors: R
authors: Fischer
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors: Kristine
authors: K
authors: Fairbanks
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors: Lauren
authors: L
authors: Lefaivre
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors: Lauren
authors: L
authors: Vickery
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors: Janelle
authors: J
authors: Molzan
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.|Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Parent