A258: Comparing Shoulder Function Between Youth Table Tennis Players with Lower Back Injuries and Those without

Lower back injuries, which affect sports performance and activities of daily life, are high frequency injury site experienced by table tennis players. However, studies on physical fitness among youth table tennis players are scarce. This study aimed to identify the differences in shoulder function characteristics between elite youth table tennis players with a history of lower back injuries and those without. Method: Shoulder function evaluation tests were performed among thirty-six elite youth table tennis players aged 1420 years using electronic medical check-ups (kinvent v3 sensor). The tests included shoulder flexion, extension, abduction, internal rotation (IR), and external rotation (ER). According to a history of lower back injuries, the players were divided into a non-injured group (n = 24) and an injured group (n = 12), and the differences in physical fitness characteristics between the two groups were compared. Independent-samples t-test and nonparametric test were used for data analysis. Significant differences in shoulder ER with 90° flexion in sitting position (nondominant vs dominant: 143.44° ± 17.83° vs 120.62° ± 17.75°, p < 0.001) and shoulder ER with 90o abduction in sitting position (nondominant vs dominant: 176.03° ± 23.18° vs 152.13°± 21.58°, p < 0.001) existed between the two sides among participants with a history of lower back injuries while no significant differences existed among those without. Moreover, there was a significant difference in shoulder extension angle in the standing position (nondominant vs dominant: 54.61° ± 9.48° vs 49.40°± 8.03°, p