title: Static and dynamic balance ability, lumbo-pelvic movement control and injury incidence in cricket pace bowlers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to establish the difference in lumbo-pelvic movement control, static and dynamic balance at the start and at the end of a cricket season in pace bowlers who sustained an injury during the season and those who did not.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a longitudinal, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two, healthy, injury free, male premier league fast, fast-medium and medium pace bowlers between the ages of 18 and 26 years (mean age 21.8 years, standard deviation 1.8 years) participated in the study. The main outcome measures were injury incidence, lumbo-pelvic movement control, static and dynamic balance ability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-three percent of the bowlers (n=17) sustained injuries during the reviewed cricket season. Lumbo-pelvic movement control tests could not discriminate between bowlers who sustained an injury during the cricket season and bowlers who did not. However, performance in the single leg balance test (p=0.03; confidence interval 4.74-29.24) and the star excursion balance test (p=0.02; confidence interval 1.28-11.93) as measured at the start of the season was better in bowlers who did not sustain an injury during the season.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The improvement in the lumbo-pelvic movement control and balance tests suggests that the intensity and type of physical conditioning that happens throughout the season may have been responsible for this improvement. Poor performance in the single leg balance test and the star excursion balance test at the start of the cricket season may be an indication that a bowler is at heightened risk of injury.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Electronic address: benita.olivier@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olivier
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, Medical Research Council, South Africa.
authors.forename: S A S
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Olorunju
authors.affiliation: School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McKinon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D010388:Pelvis / Q000502:physiology; D004856:Postural Balance; D015995:Prevalence; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Balance; Cricket; Injury; Lumbo-pelvic movement control; Pace bowler