THE IMPACT OF LUMBOPELVIC CONTROL ON OVERHEAD PERFORMANCE AND SHOULDER INJURY IN OVERHEAD ATHLETES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

BACKGROUND

The lumbopelvic region is utilized in almost all functional tasks and has been proposed to provide dynamic stability to distal extremities.

PURPOSE

To systematically evaluate the current literature that examined the effect of lumbopelvic control on overhead performance and shoulder injury in overhead athletes.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic Review.

METHODS

A comprehensive systematic electronic search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus. Articles were considered for inclusion if they included a measure of lumbopelvic control and assessed shoulder pain, disability, injury, or overhead performance outcome. Cohen's effect size was calculated when necessary statistical data were available to determine the impact of lumbopelvic control.

RESULTS

The search revealed 3,312 total articles and 2,883 articles were screened after duplicates were removed. After titles and abstracts were screened, 45 full text articles were reviewed. Fifteen full-text articles ultimately met inclusion criteria. Effect sizes ranged from trivial (0.10) to large (0.86), indicating a varying degree of positive effects on performance and shoulder injuries. The majority of included articles concluded individuals with greater lumbopelvic control demonstrated improved performance and decreased occurrence of injury.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that improved lumbopelvic control relates to improved athletic performance and decreased shoulder injury. Additional higher quality research is needed to further support these findings, establish a standard measure for lumbopelvic control, and determine preventative factors for injury, pain, and disability.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

2a.