Head coaches’ attitudes towards injury prevention and use of related methods in professional basketball: A survey

• Published in: Physical therapy in sport 2018-07, Vol.32, p.133-139
• Main Authors: Wilke, J., Niederer, D., Vogt, L., Banzer, W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ankle; Coaches & managers; Conflicts of interest; Data processing; Ethics; Injury prevention; Joint and ligament injuries; Likert scale; Medical screening; Physical therapy; Preventive strategies; Professional basketball; Questionnaires; Screening; Sports injuries; Sports medicine; Strength training; Warm-up
• ISSN: 1466-853X; 1873-1600
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2018.04.011

To investigate the practices and attitudes of professional basketball head coaches towards injury prevention. Survey. Elite-level basketball. Head coaches of all 366 German professional teams. Use of injury risk screening methods, rated importance of different musculoskeletal injuries and rated effectiveness of preventive interventions. Eighty-three of 366 invited coaches (23%) responded to the survey. No non-response bias was detected. Only one of three teams conducts systematic injury screenings. The most commonly used test was the functional movement screen (73.1% of users), while balance and strength testing (both 38.5%) were least prevalent. Top-rated preventive interventions included balance and strength training, training of functional movement patterns, and stretching. In contrast, passive interventions, e.g. the use of orthoses, were not considered effective. The involvement of a health professional (e.g. physiotherapist) was associated with the performance of injury screening, but not with the choice of specific tests or preventive strategies. The methods applied to conduct injury screening and prevent musculoskeletal disorders in German professional basketball teams seem only partially backed by scientific evidence. Although not correlated with the tests and interventions used, the involvement of health-related stakeholders might help to identify players at increased injury risk. •Only a small share of the German professional basketball teams conducts regular injury risk screenings.•The functional movement screen is the mostly used instrument, while strength and balance testing are performed infrequently.•Strength and balance training are classified as the most effective strategies to prevent injuries.•Passive interventions (e.g. use of orthoses or education) are considered less effective.•Both, the coaches' use of screening tests and rated effectivity of preventive strategies do not reflect the scientific evidence.