Frequency of Leg Length Discrepancy Secondary to Up-Slip Sacro-Iliac Joint Among Asymptomatic Fast Bowlers

Abstract BackgroundLow back pain and other musculoskeletal problems are becoming more common in cricketers, particularly fast bowlers. Fast bowlers have been shown to suffer from LBP, which affects daily activities and leads to poor performance. The repetitive spinal and pelvic motions required in fast bowling are the sources of these musculoskeletal issues. A tilted pelvis can lead to functional LLD due to an up-slip SIJ. LLD is a condition in which one leg appears to be longer than the other. Early detection of LLD can prevent fast bowlers from LBP and other musculoskeletal problems. Pakistan has several cricket academies and one of the most professional teams. Still, there is not enough study on health, fitness, and body mechanics to help assess various elements that influence a player's performance. Knowledge about LLD will benefit the players regarding their health, comfort, and performance. Therefore, we conducted this research to look at the incidence of LLD among young fast bowlers secondary to up-slip SIJ. ObjectiveThis study aims to determine the frequency of LLD among young fast bowlers. MethodologyA cross-sectional survey was conducted among asymptomatic young fast bowlers of Karachi. We approached our target population by visiting some cricket academies in Karachi. A screening proforma was provided, and two physical tests were performed on each participant to examine LLD. ResultThe sample size of this study was 350. The age of the participants was between 9 and 19. Out of 350 participants, 329 were males, and 21 were females. 146 (41%) of the participants had LLD greater than 1 cm, and 204 (58.3%) didn’t have LLD or had LLD less than 1 cm. Years of practice and training hours were observed to be associated factors. ConclusionRuling out LLD in asymptomatic young fast bowlers is important to protect them from future musculoskeletal problems because it can affect their performance. We noticed the relation between LLD and other factors. For young players, more practice is required to balance their fitness and work performance. In the future, we hope this research will help examine LLD not only in fast bowlers but also in other players.