Lower extremity injury predictors in ballet dancers: A scoping review

Abstract

Ballet dancers’ joints are subjected to excessive ranges of motion under high load due to the specific nature and choreography of this dance genre. Consequently, they experience high injury rates, most of which are occur in the lower extremities. Scanty literature exists on factors and tools used to predict these injuries. This study was undertaken to review the scope of extant literature on predictors of lower extremity injury in ballet dancers. PRISMA guidelines and the JBI reviewer’s manual guided our review. The PCC (population, concept, and context) framework was used to guide the formulation of objectives and eligibility criteria. A systematic search of the literature was conducted on CINAHL, PubMed and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The search strategy, study selection, and data extraction processes were carried out by two independent reviewers based on the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. Seven of 382 studies which met the inclusion criteria comprised three prospective cohort studies, one retrospective descriptive cohort study and three studies with no indication of research design. A range of identified factors and tools used to predict lower extremity injuries included: foot length, ankle range, muscle strength, foot pronation, body mass index, balance, knee valgus angle, pelvic angle, patellar grind test, patellar inhibition test, Movement Competency Screen (MCS) and Dance Specific Aerobic Fitness Test (DAFT). It was concluded that a change in foot length and foot pronation demonstrated the greatest ability to predict lower extremity injury among ballet dancers. The foot length change showed moderate reliability, while the MCS indicated excellent reliability. Future studies are necessary to yield more evidence on factors and outcome measures used to predict lower extremity injuries among ballet dancers. Injury prediction is crucial for prevention, performance optimisation, career longevity and reduction of healthcare cost among athletes.