Cooperative Project of the Associate Professorship of Didactics in Sport and Health and the NBA

Injuries of the lower extremities are among the most common and consequential health problems in basketball—particularly in elite youth sports. Current studies show that more than half of all injuries affect the knee. In addition, overuse injuries of the knee occur twice as often as acute traumatic injuries, whereas at the ankle joint the latter clearly predominate. Overall, male youth basketball players exhibit a high incidence of joint, muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries of the lower extremities. At the same time, the development of injuries—especially overuse injuries—has so far been insufficiently investigated from a scientific perspective.

This is precisely where the new, internationally oriented research project “Musculoskeletal Injury Profiling of Male Youth Basketball Players” of the Associate Professorship of Didactics in Sport and Health comes in. The project was established in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin and the National Basketball Association (NBA). The aim of the project is to investigate injury mechanisms in youth basketball for the first time in a holistic, detailed manner and across different age groups. The focus is not only on training load and game practice, but above all on the underlying changes in tendons, muscles, and joints.

Prof. Dr. Filip Mess, Head of the Associate Professorship of Didactics in Sport and Health, explains: “The special feature of the cooperation with the NBA lies in the fact that athletic performance is not viewed solely from the perspective of training science or sports psychology, but also incorporates aspects of prevention and health promotion. The insights gained can then, in the medium term, lead to individualized, preventive recommendations and measures for youth athletes—very much in the spirit of precision prevention.”

“Until now, training load has often been recorded using indirect indicators such as jumps or running distances,” explains Philipp Hartmannsgruber, Research Associate at the Associate Professorship of Didactics in Sport and Health. “We are now taking a decisive step further and looking directly into the tissue: How do tendons and muscles change over the course of a season, and how are these changes related to injuries?”

A unique study design across multiple age groups

The project follows a staggered approach. In Germany, male youth basketball players aged 13 to 18 are being examined. In parallel, the University of Wisconsin is analyzing college players. This structure makes it possible, for the first time, to systematically trace the development of muscle and tendon properties from youth to the professional level.

Particularly innovative is the extensive mix of methods. Whole-body MRIs, high-resolution ultrasound procedures, and regular biomechanical test batteries are employed. These methods are complemented by continuous load monitoring using sensor systems during training and competition. In this way, a dense, prospective monitoring system is created over several seasons.

From injury history to training load

The overarching goal of the project is the development of a framework for identifying risk factors for injuries of the lower extremities in male youth basketball players. Specifically, relationships between tissue structure, biomechanical properties, individual injury history, and training and competition load are to be identified.

A particular focus is placed on the question of how previous injuries influence current physical conditions. For example, the project examines whether past ankle injuries are associated with increased joint laxity or restricted range of motion, or whether previous patellar and Achilles tendon complaints lead to long-term changes in strength and tendon morphology.

In addition, the research team analyzes whether certain muscular or tendon-specific characteristics at the beginning of the season are associated with an increased risk of later injuries. Changes over the course of the season also play a central role. If strength, mobility, or tissue quality deteriorate under high training loads, this could be an early warning signal for impending muscle injuries.

Close supervision and practical relevance

Data collection is deliberately carried out at close intervals: ultrasound and biomechanical measurements take place every four to six weeks, as tendon and tissue properties can change relatively quickly. In addition, the regular examinations also serve as injury screening in order to be able to respond early to critical developments.

For the participating youth players, this means support at a professional level. The test protocols used correspond to those of the NBA, including standardized force plates and biomechanical analyses. External influencing factors such as the athletes’ footwear are also taken into account in order to obtain as complete a picture as possible.

A sustainable perspective for prevention and training management

In the long term, the results of the project are intended to help prevent injuries more effectively, particularly during the sensitive youth phase. “In adult athletes, many adaptation processes are already completed,” says Hartmannsgruber. “In youth sports, we still have the opportunity to design training control and load management in such a way that problematic developments do not arise in the first place.”

Whether this will result in generally applicable recommendations or rather individualized profiles and screening tools is part of the open, exploratory research question. In any case, the project provides important foundations for the evidence-based further development of training and prevention strategies in basketball—from youth sports all the way to the NBA.

With its international approach, the close integration of research and practice, and the exceptional depth of data, the project makes a key contribution to modern sports science and sets new standards in injury prevention in elite sports.

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Contact

Prof. Dr. Filip Mess
Associate Professorship of Didactics in Sport and Health 
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 Munich

Tel.: +49 89 289 24520
E-mail: filip.mess(at)tum.de

Philipp Hartmannsgruber
Associate Professorship of Didactics in Sport and Health
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 Munich

Tel.: +49 89 289 24975
E-mail: philipp.hartmannsgruber(at)tum.de

Text & Photos: Bastian Daneyko