Biomechanical analysis of abdominal injury in tennis serves. A case report

The serve is an important stroke in any high level tennis game. A well-mastered serve is a substantial advantage for players. However, because of its repeatability and its intensity, this stroke is potentially deleterious for upper limbs, lower limbs and trunk. The trunk is a vital link in the produ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sports science & medicine 2015-06, Vol.14 (2), p.402-412
Main Authors: Tubez, François, Forthomme, Bénédicte, Croisier, Jean-Louis, Cordonnier, Caroline, Brüls, Olivier, Denoël, Vincent, Berwart, Gilles, Joris, Maurice, Grosdent, Stéphanie, Schwartz, Cédric
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Abdominal injuries
Biomechanics
Case reports
Employment
Human health sciences
Injuries
Kinematics
Laboratories
Medical research
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Orthopedics, rehabilitation & sports medicine
Orthopédie, rééducation & médecine sportive
Overarm throwing
Pathology
Physiological aspects
Rehabilitation
Sciences de la santé humaine
Sports injuries
Stroke
Studies
Tennis
Tennis players
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Summary:The serve is an important stroke in any high level tennis game. A well-mastered serve is a substantial advantage for players. However, because of its repeatability and its intensity, this stroke is potentially deleterious for upper limbs, lower limbs and trunk. The trunk is a vital link in the production and transfer of energy from the lower limbs to the upper limbs; therefore, kinematic disorder could be a potential source of risk for trunk injury in tennis. This research studies the case of a professional tennis player who has suffered from a medical tear on the left rectus abdominis muscle after tennis serve. The goal of the study is to understand whether the injury could be explained by an inappropriate technique. For this purpose, we analyzed in three dimensions the kinematic and kinetic aspects of the serve. We also performed isokinetic tests of the player's knees. We then compared the player to five other professional players as reference. We observed a possible deficit of energy transfer because of an important anterior pelvis tilt. Some compensation made by the player during the serve could be a possible higher abdominal contraction and a larger shoulder external rotation. These particularities could induce an abdominal overwork that could explain the first injury and may provoke further injuries. Key pointsIn the proximal-distal sequence, energy is transmitted from lower limbs to upper limps via trunk.The 3D analysis tool is an indispensable test for an objective evaluation of the kinematic in the tennis serve.Multiple evaluations techniques are useful for fuller comprehension of the kinematics and contribute to the awareness of the player's staff concerning pathologies and performance.
ISSN:1303-2968
1303-2968