Objective: Shoulder problems are prevalent in volleyball, yet the risk of injury can be mitigated through the implementation of a preventive program. To develop a more effective protocol, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center shoulder injury prevention program on the range of motion for external and internal rotation, as well as upper extremity performance.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design involving 60 adolescent male and female volleyball players aged 12–15 years, randomly allocated to intervention (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. The intervention group incorporated the OSTRC shoulder injury prevention program as a warm-up for eight weeks prior to regular training sessions. Glenohumeral internal and external rotation ROM was assessed using a goniometer, and upper extremity performance was evaluated with the Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test. Data normality was confirmed via the Shapiro-Wilk test, and mixed-design analysis of variance was applied to determine training effects at a significance level of P < 0.05.
Results: The results of the mixed-design analysis of variance indicated significant differences between pretest and posttest measurements across the variables of ROM and the closed kinetic chain performance test .
Conclusion: The findings of the current study demonstrate the positive effects of the OSTRC shoulder injury prevention exercise program on enhancing glenohumeral internal and external rotation ROM and athletic performance in adolescent male and female volleyball players. It appears that incorporating this program may contribute to the prevention of shoulder injuries among volleyball athletes.