Relationship Between Proprioceptive Flexibility and the Occurrence of Lower Limb Ligament Injury in Pivot-contact Sports

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Lower Limb Ligament Injury

• Registration Number: NCT07028723
• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital, Montpellier

Brief Summary

Among young athletes involved in pivot and pivot-contact sports (soccer, handball, rugby, etc.), lateral ankle sprains and lesions of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are the most frequent ligament injuries. Despite existing prevention programs, these injuries lead to prolonged downtime, risk of recurrence and long-term sequelae.

A little-studied risk factor is proprioceptive rigidity, defined as the central nervous system's difficulty in adapting the use of sensory information (proprioception) according to environment and motor context. This deficit could limit the ability to maintain balance in high-risk situations, thereby increasing the likelihood of injury.

To our knowledge, there is no evidence of a direct link between proprioceptive profile (flexible/rigid) and the incidence of lower-limb ligament injury. If such a link is established, preventive strategies focusing on the recovery of an optimal proprioceptive profile could be developed in an attempt to limit the occurrence of ligament injuries in young elite and sub-elite athletes, and thus limit the medical, financial and personal repercussions for these athletes.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-06-11
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-06-11
• Study First Posted: 2025-06-19
• Study Start: 2025-06-30
• Status Verified: 2025-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-07-17
• Last Update Posted: 2025-07-18
• Primary Completion: 2028-01-01
• Study Completion: 2028-01-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 150

Inclusion Criteria

• Athlete practicing in a high-level program
• Aged between 14 and 25
• Practicing a pivot-contact sport (rugby, soccer, handball)

Exclusion Criteria

• Lower limb injury <6 weeks prior to inclusion
• Concussion <6 weeks prior to inclusion
• Known neurological or vestibular disorder
• Lack of consent from athlete or legal guardians
• Non-affiliation with a social security scheme
• Persons under court protection
• Participant in another study with an ongoing exclusion period

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Rate of occurrence of lower limb ligament injuries in groups of athletes with rigid proprioceptive profiles	During 1 year after inclusion	Data collection on the occurrence of injuries will be carried out by club doctors, who will complete a questionnaire sent to them by e-mail by the investigator. They will then be contacted once a month by a single person to centralize the data.
Rate of occurrence of lower limb ligament injuries in groups of athletes with flexible proprioceptive profiles	During 1 year after inclusion	Data collection on the occurrence of injuries will be carried out by club doctors, who will complete a questionnaire sent to them by e-mail by the investigator. They will then be contacted once a month by a single person to centralize the data.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Describe the prevalence of rigid and flexible profiles in this population and according to the sport played (rugby, soccer, handball).	During 1 year after inclusion
Describe the relationship between proprioceptive stiffness and the period of training or match during which the injury occurred (training or match divided into 4)	During 1 year after inclusion	Period of injury (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th quarter of training/match)
Describe the relationship between proprioceptive stiffness and the period of the season	During 1 year after inclusion	Period of season (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th quarter of season)
Describe the relationship between proprioceptive stiffness and exposure time during training and matches	During 1 year after inclusion	Number of hours of practice (training and match)
Describe the relationship between proprioceptive stiffness and injury mechanism (contact/non-contact)	During 1 year after inclusion	Direct (contact) or indirect (non-contact) injury mechanism
Describe the relationship between proprioceptive stiffness and action during which injury occurs (attack/defense)	During 1 year after inclusion	Action of injury (attack or defense)
Describe the relationship between proprioceptive stiffness and occurrence of a first or recurrent injury	During 1 year after inclusion	First episode or recurrence
Describe the relationship between proprioceptive stiffness and time to return to sport at the same level	During 1 year after inclusion	Time to return to sport at same level

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

CHU Montpellier; 🇫🇷 Montpellier, France