Shoulder joint kinetics of the elite wheelchair tennis serve

Br J Sports Med, 2007 · DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2007.036145 · Published: April 30, 2007

Simple Explanation

This study examines the mechanics of the shoulder joint during wheelchair tennis serves to understand injury risks and improve coaching. It compares the shoulder movements and forces of elite wheelchair tennis players to those of able-bodied players. Researchers used motion capture technology to record and analyze the serves of two top-ranked wheelchair tennis players, focusing on the flat and kick serves. They compared this data to existing data on able-bodied tennis players performing the same serves. The findings suggest that wheelchair tennis players experience similar shoulder joint loads to able-bodied players, implying similar injury risks. However, individual variations in technique and spinal cord injury level affect shoulder joint kinetics.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Two male top 30-ranked international wheelchair players and 12 high-performance able-bodied players

Evidence Level

Level 3, Comparative biomechanical analysis

Key Findings

1
Wheelchair players generate similar pre-impact absolute racquet velocities in both flat and kick serves, but with different horizontal and lateral components.
2
Shoulder joint kinetics varied between individual players, potentially due to the level and severity of their spinal cord injuries, but remained consistent across serve types for each player.
3
Compared to able-bodied players, wheelchair players experienced similar or reduced relative shoulder joint loading, suggesting no greater predisposition to shoulder injury.

Research Summary

This study investigated the shoulder joint kinetics of elite wheelchair tennis players during flat and kick serves, comparing them to able-bodied players to assess injury risk and inform coaching practices. The results indicate that wheelchair players achieve comparable racquet velocities with varying horizontal and lateral components in different serve types, with shoulder joint kinetics influenced by individual factors like spinal cord injury level. The study concludes that wheelchair tennis players do not exhibit greater shoulder joint loading compared to able-bodied players, suggesting similar injury risks, and highlights the relationship between joint loading and racquet velocity development.

Practical Implications

Injury Prevention

Understanding shoulder joint kinetics can inform targeted injury prevention strategies for wheelchair tennis players.

Coaching Strategies

Coaches can use this biomechanical data to refine serving techniques and maximize performance while minimizing injury risk.

Rehabilitation Programs

The insights gained can be applied to develop rehabilitation programs for shoulder injuries specific to wheelchair tennis players.

Study Limitations

1
Small sample size (two wheelchair players)
2
The use of external markers may affect the accuracy of the absolute magnitudes of longitudinal upper arm rotation.
3
Assessment of muscle activity is required for complete interpretation of net joint force data.

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