Avaliação funcional e risco de lesões nos membros inferiores em atletas amadoras infantojuvenis de basquetebol feminino : um estudo transversal.

Abstract

Sports participation during childhood and adolescence contributes to the motor and social development of young athletes. However, when performed without adequate physical preparation and functional monitoring, it may increase the risk of injuries, especially in the lower limbs. The aim of this study was to evaluate functional capacity and the risk of lower limb injuries in female youth basketball athletes using standardized functional tests. This was a quantitative, analytical, observational, cross-sectional field study. Seventeen female athletes, with a mean age of 12.76 ± 1.85 years, from the Associação Meninas do Basquete of Santa Cruz do Sul participated in the study. The athletes were assessed using the Lunge Test (LT), Forward Step Down Test (FSDT), Y Balance Test (YBT), and Single Leg Hop for Distance (SLHD). Injury risk was classified according to the number of functional tests with results outside the ideal standard. Nine athletes (52.9%) were classified as having a low risk of injury, two (11.8%) as moderate risk, and six (35.3%) as high risk. Thirteen athletes (76.5%) demonstrated performance within the expected range in both the LT and SLHD. In the FSDT, seven athletes (41.2%) showed fair performance and seven (41.2%) poor performance. In the YBT, only one athlete (5.9%) achieved performance within the ideal range. Furthermore, eleven athletes (64.7%) reported a previous history of injury, with the ankle being the most frequently affected site (63.6%). The findings revealed impairments related to dynamic balance and neuromuscular control, suggesting a greater predisposition to lower limb injuries among the evaluated athletes. Functional deficits were identified, along with a considerable proportion of athletes classified as having moderate and high injury risk, reinforcing the importance of functional assessment as a tool for the early identification of impairments and for guiding preventive strategies.