INJURY PREDICTION AMONG RUNNERS - PRELIMINARY-REPORT ON LIMB DOMINANCE

A preliminary study examined the independent association of lower extremity limb dominance to running injuries. For the purposes of this study, limb dominance was recognized as an individual's ability to perform a specific skill test with greater accuracy, speed, and agility with one limb rather than the contralateral limb. Three limb dominance tests were used to identify limb dominance. The protocol, application, and scoring system for these screening tests are presented. The screening tests were sensitive and identified limb dominance among elite runners. No significant (P < 0.05%) association between limb dominance and running injuries could be confirmed by this study. These results could be an artifact of a small (N = 26) subject population or the elite nature of the subject population. Further testing and observation with a larger subject population are recommended.