PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - M S Ntolopoulou
TI  - Off-balance dorsal position at volleyball service involved in sciatic nerve inflammation
AID  - 10.1136/bjsm.2011.084558.30
DP  - 2011 May 01
TA  - British Journal of Sports Medicine
PG  - 543--543
VI  - 45
IP  - 6
4099  - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/45/6/543.3.short
4100  - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/45/6/543.3.full
SO  - Br J Sports Med2011 May 01; 45
AB  - Objective The aim of the study is to demonstrate that wrong physical position in volleyball service hit is associated with sciatic nerve injuries sustained by young female athletes. Design Observational study through the Dartfish framework video analysis of biomechanical movement. Setting Personal study. Participants Young female (aged 16–18) volleyball players(N=20) from a single country public school district trained at high-level competition in school and in youth teams were recruited to participate in biomechanical video analysis combined with a study of their pathological minor injuries medical record. Intervention Prevention through use of video analysis of sciatic nerve minor injuries caused by frequent repetition of wrong service position/movement. Results Young female athletes' long-term exposure to biomechanically wrong position of trunk and, more particularly, of ankle-knee-hip axis in young female athletes in the course of holding the ball and delivering the service hit accounts for pathological sciatic nerve minor injuries (painful inflammations). Conclusions In preventing sciatic nerve minor injuries a major role is played by a knowledgeable trainer insisting on biomechanically proper service position to be adopted at the earliest age in combination with a set of exercises aimed at dorsal musculature build-up. Practice aimed at mastering the perfect movement/position is essential right from the start of female volleyball players' training at the age of 12.