Modifying bowling kinematics in cricket pace bowlers with exercise-based injury prevention: A cluster-randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Objectives Undesirable bowling kinematics can increase the risk of low back injury. This study investigated if an exercise-based injury prevention program (IPP) could modify bowling kinematics in community-level adolescent pace bowlers. Design Cluster-randomised controlled trial. Methods Pace bowlers from eight cricket organisations were cluster-randomised into an intervention or control group. At baseline and follow-up sessions biomechanical bowling data were collected. Between sessions, the intervention group completed an eight-week IPP while the control continued their normal cricket activity. Treatment effects (95% CI) were estimated with linear mixed models. Results There were significant treatment effects favouring the intervention group for shoulder counter-rotation (−3.8°; −7.2° to −0.3°) and lateral trunk flexion relative to the pelvis (−2.2°; −4.0° to −0.5°). Shoulder counter-rotation also increased in the control group by 2.2° (Cohen’s d = 0.22). There were no effects of the intervention on: lateral trunk flexion at front foot contact (FFC) (1.2°; −2.5° to 4.8°), lateral trunk flexion at ball release (BR) (−0.5°; −3.0° to 2.0°), pelvis rotation at FFC (0.9°; −4.0° to 2.2°), pelvis rotation at BR (−1.1°; −5.7° to 3.6°), front hip angle at FFC (1.6°; −3.6° to 6.7°), front hip angle at BR (−1.6°; −5.0° to 1.9°), front knee angle at FFC (−1.1°; −4.5° to 2.3°), front knee angle at BR (1.7°; −5.6° to 9.1°), or ball velocity (1.1 km h −1; −7.5 km h −1 to 9.7 km h −1). Conclusions The IPP maintained shoulder counter-rotation and lateral trunk flexion relative to the pelvis in the intervention group and this could attenuate injury risk. No treatment effects were observed for lower-limb kinematics