Assessment of the Reliability and Validity of the Leg Lateral Reach Test in Adolescent Tennis Players

Assessment of the Reliability and Validity of the Leg Lateral Reach Test in Adolescent Tennis Players

Assessment of the Reliability and Validity of the Leg Lateral Reach Test to Measure Thoraco-Lumbo-Pelvic Rotation in Adolescent Tennis Players

The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Leg Lateral Reach Test to measure thoraco-lumbo-pelvic segment mobility in adolescent tennis players. The fact that the test is valid and reliable for tennis players will contribute to monitoring trunk rotation flexibility in athletes, comparing them bilaterally, and revealing the exercise training necessary to improve performance.

Tennis is a sport characterized by coordinated, repetitive, and rotational movements along the kinetic chain. Ineffective use of the trunk segment to generate rotational momentum is thought to increase the load on the upper extremity. Limited trunk rotation flexibility can cause abnormal trunk motion patterns, resulting in lower back injuries and pain as well as upper extremity injuries in throwing athletes. Therefore, assessment of trunk flexibility in athletes who perform repetitive trunk rotations, such as tennis players, is critical for effective rehabilitation and prevention of sports injuries. The Leg Lateral Reach Test was developed to measure the rotation of the thoraco-lumbo-pelvic segment and was found to be valid and reliable in physically active, healthy individuals. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Leg Lateral Reach Test to measure thoraco-lumbo-pelvic segment mobility in adolescent tennis players. The fact that the test is valid and reliable for tennis players will contribute to monitoring trunk rotation flexibility in athletes, comparing them bilaterally, and revealing the exercise training necessary to improve performance.

To conduct the leg reach test, participants began by positioning themselves with their arms hanging at their sides. They were then guided to raise the leg under assessment and extend it across the opposite leg to make contact with a wooden bar, employing trunk rotation in the process. During each trial, participants were consistently motivated to ensure that both shoulders remained in contact with the floor and to stretch their tested leg as far as they could along the length of the wooden bar. If a participant was unable to sustain contact between their foot and the wooden bar for a duration of 5 seconds at the point of maximal reach, or if both shoulders lifted off the floor, that specific trial was considered invalid and not included in the analysis. Each participant completed three repetitions of this test for both the right and left sides, and the average of their reach distances was subsequently calculated for assessment.

Inclusion Criteria: Adolescent tennis players Exclusion Criteria: Athletes with a history of musculoskeletal injury or surgery in the last year that would prevent the tests from being performed Athletes who feel pain in the trunk and lower extremities during the tests

Pontes-Silva A, Avila MA, de Araujo ADS, Penha TFC, Takahasi HY, Bassi-Dibai D, Dibai-Filho AV. Assessment of the Reliability of the Leg Lateral Reach Test to Measure Thoraco-Lumbo-Pelvic Rotation in Individuals With Chronic Low Back Pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2021 Sep;44(7):566-572. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2021.12.001.

Kim SH, Kwon OY, Park KN, Hwang UJ. Leg lateral reach test: The reliability and correlation with thoraco-lumbo-pelvic rotation range. J Sci Med Sport. 2017 Jan;20(1):2-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2016.04.006. Epub 2016 May 2.