EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF THORACIC HYPERKYPHOSIS IN YOUNG BASKETBALL PLAYERS: A PILOT STUDY

INTRODUCTION: Thoracic hyperkyphosis is one of the most common postural disorders (Garoflid, 2000) identified with a rounded back and shoulders forward (Vaughn, 2007) that could be developed during adolescence (Kamaci, 2015). Young basketball players have a high level of endurance demand, often overloading the biological tissues and causing biome- chanical compensations (Guedes, 2014). Due to the immaturity of their musculoskeletal structures, those consequences may influence the growth process and lead to the development of various postural patterns (Grabara, 2014). The following study aims to verify if the use of a corrective program could prevent postural disorders in young basketball athletes. METHODS: Twenty-eight healthy male adolescents basketball players took part in the study: fourteen in the experimental (EXP) group (15.3±1.1yrs; 65.9±9.1 kg; 182.5±6.2 cm) and fourteen in the control (CTRL) group (15.4±1.3 yrs; 73.9±6 kg; 180.8±7.5 cm). Both groups were assessed with a postural screening test in order to find any postural issues and subjects were screened with manual inclinometers and plumb line (Kendall, 2005). At baseline (PRE) and post 8 weeks of training (POST), Dorsal Kyphosis grades (DK), Forward Head Posture grades (FHP), Forward Shoulder Position anteposition (FSP), and Push-Pull ratio (PPratio) have been evaluated. The training program was structured with three parts: the first with mobility exercises for the upper joints, the second with analytical exercises for the shoulder musculature, and a third with integrated exercises for the upper musculature. RESULTS: In the EXP group, DK (PRE 45.8±5.3°; POST: 36.1±7°), FHP (PRE: 12.9±5.6°; POST: 3.3±3.4°), FSP (PRE: 12.9±1.5 cm; POST: 11.1±1.4 cm), and PPratio (PRE: 2.73±1.24; POST: 1.54±0.34) were significantly (p<0.01) influenced by training. In the CTRL group, there weren’t any significant changes in the data except for the FSP (PRE: 12.3±1.3 cm; POST: 13.1±1.6 cm) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our data show that a corrective exercise program could improve dorsal kyphosis posture, lowering the entity of the dorsal and cervical curves, realigning the head and the shoulders in the correct position, and balancing the muscular strength differences between pushing and pulling muscles. The present corrective exercise program could be used as a pre-practice warm-up in those athletes who have a kyphosis posture or in those athletes with a kyphosis that needs to be corrected. REFERENCES: Garoflid N. Rev Med Suisse Romande, 2000. 120(10):815–820. Grabara M. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil, 2014. 27(4):513-9. Guedes PF. J Phys Act Health, 2014. 11(7):1401-7. Kamaci S. Spine, 2015. 1;40(13):E787-93. Kendall F. Muscle testing and function with posture and pain, 2005. 5thEd.LWW. Vaughn DW. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil, 2007. 20(4): 155–165.