ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2025
Association between low back pain and limited lower-extremity flexibility in elementary school-aged softball players: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Association between posterior thigh tightness and lifetime low back pain in young basketball players: a cross-sectional study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Postural Fitness Protocol in Children and Adolescents: Descriptive Values from the ISQUIOS Program.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
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11 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundLimited lower-extremity flexibility has long been debated as a physical risk factor contributing to low back pain in various populations. However, its impact on younger populations, particularly elementary school-aged softball players, remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the relationship between limited lower-extremity flexibility (iliopsoas, hamstrings, and quadriceps femoris) and low back pain in elementary school-aged softball players.
methodsThis cross-sectional study included 521 elementary school-aged softball players (469 males and 52 females; mean age, 10.7 years) who participated in annual medical evaluations from 2017 to 2019. Lower-extremity flexibility was assessed once during annual medical evaluations using the Thomas test for the iliopsoas, straight-leg-raise test for the hamstrings, and heel-to-buttock-distance test for the quadriceps. Additionally, low back pain during the previous season was evaluated through self-administered questionnaires distributed to participants and collected during medical check-ups. The prevalence of low back pain and its association with lower-extremity flexibility were investigated using univariate and multivariable analyses. In multivariable analysis, age, position, body mass index, and total practice time per week were included as explanatory factors.
resultsOverall, 16.9% (88/521) of the players experienced low back pain that required rest during the previous year. After adjustment for confounding factors (age, position, body mass index, and total practice time per week) with a logistic regression model, low back pain showed a significant association with quadriceps muscle tightness (odds ratio: 3.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.51-6.56, P = .002).
conclusionQuadriceps femoris tightness may be a significant risk factor for low back pain in elementary school-aged softball players. These findings underscore the importance of assessing quadriceps femoris tightness to prevent low back pain in elementary school-aged softball players. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: Not applicable.
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