Radial Strength Differences In Trabecular Bone In Female Volleyball Players Compared To Controls

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: High impact loading common in some sports affects bone structure that may influence bone strength across a lifetime. Past research investigating the effect of loading on bone strength has reported significant bilateral differences in bone favoring the dominant arm in male racket-sport players (Haapasalo et al., 2000) and former professional baseball pitchers (Warden et al 2014). Volleyball involves repetitive asymmetrical strikes on the dominant arm that may serve as a great within-subject model to determine differences in bone size and geometry. PURPOSE: To determine differences in trabecular bone strength between dominant vs non-dominant radius of female volleyball players compared to a control group. METHODS: Division II female volleyball players (VB) (N = 16) and age-match controls (CON) (N = 15) underwent peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) scans to measure bone strength in both radii at the 4% site. Significance in percent side-side differences in trabecular bone variables, volumetric bone mineral density (Δ vBMD.tb mg/cm3), total bone mineral content (Δ vBMC.tb mg/mm), total area (Δ ToA.tb mm2), and Bone Strength Index in compression (Δ BSIc mg2/mm4) were determined using a 2x4 mixed ANOVA. RESULTS: VB (age 19 yrs + 1.2); control group (age 22.5 + 3.3). No significant differences were found in percent differences (dominant vs non-dominant) between the volleyball and control groups. Δ vBMD.tb: VB -0.05% (-3.88-3.78); CON 0.16% (-2.82-3.13), Δ vBMC.tb: VB 1.21% (-1.23-3.65) CON -0.82% (-6.78-5.13), Δ ToA.tb: VB -0.57% (-3.27-2.14) CON -1.36% (-4.40-1.68), Δ BSIc: VB 3.2% (-0.651-7.06) CON -1.36% (-4.40-1.68). CONCLUSION: No significant side-to-side differences were detected between the dominant and nondominant radii in VB compared to CON. The lack of significant differences could potentially be dependent on factors such as position played and years playing the sport, larger sample sizes may be needed. Lastly, it could be that VB is not the appropriate model for determining differences in trabecular bone strength.

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