The Degree, Development and Interrelationship of Structural and Functional Asymmetry in (Pre)Adolescent Elite Tennis Players

NCT ID: NCT03128814

Last Updated: 2017-04-25

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Total Enrollment: 240 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2022-01-31

Brief Summary

Humans generally develop a preferred upper and lower extremity. Due to repetitive uneven loading, this gradually results in structural (e.g. increased bone and muscle mass) and functional (e.g. increased strength) adaptations to the dominant side of the body. The corresponding structural and functional asymmetry can be further accentuated by (intensively) practicing a unilateral sport such as tennis, which is very popular. Yet, research on this particular topic is scarce, especially in (pre)adolescent players. Existing studies, which often face methodological shortcomings (e.g. crosssectional designs, small sample sizes, no link to field methods), mainly focus on adults and structural asymmetry of the upper extremity itself, with very little or no attention to whole body structural as well as functional asymmetry. Moreover, the link of both forms of asymmetry with growth and maturation, everyday locomotion, technical skill performance and whole body injury is currently not (fully) understood. Therefore, the main purpose of this research project is to gain comprehensive knowledge on the degree, development and implications of both structural and functional asymmetry during a critical period in life using a longitudinal approach. As such, this project among youth elite tennis players will provide insights on the extent to which structural and/or functional asymmetry is acceptable for being most successful but remaining injury free.

Conditions

Development; Unilateral

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Elite (pre)adolescent tennis players

No interventions assigned to this group

Age- and gender-matched controls

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Being enrolled in a Belgian high-performance tennis academy

Exclusion Criteria

• Injury at the start of the data collection, any known musculoskeletal abnormality, developmental disorder or metabolic disease.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 8 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Laurent Chapelle

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Laurent Chapelle

Researcher

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Peter Clarys, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Eva D'Hondt, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Locations

Physical Education and Physical Therapy

Brussels, , Belgium

Countries

Belgium

Central Contacts

Laurent Chapelle, Msc

Role: CONTACT

laurent.chapelle@vub.ac.be

+32477472756

Facility Contacts

Laurent Chapelle, MSc

Role: primary

laurent.chapelle@vub.ac.be

+32477472756

Other Identifiers

Asymmetry in tennis

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id