Association between sports skills and postural stability limit in wheelchair rugby athletes

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the seated limits of stability (LoS) and wheelchair rugby (WR) abilities. Methods: Fifteen male athletes were evaluated in this cross-sectional study. Athletes were seated over a suspended force platform and instructed to lean their trunk as far as possible in eight directions. Center of pressure (COP) coordinates were calculated from the ground reaction forces. LoS were computed as the log-transformed area of 68% confidence ellipse adjusted to maximal COP excursion achieved for the eight directions. The Beck Battery for Quad Rugby Skills Tests (Beck Battery), consisting in five tests, was applied for WR abilities assessment. The association between LoS and Beck Battery scores was determined with Person correlation coefficient (r), assuming a confidence level of 5 %. The 95% confidence interval (CI) of r was estimated through bootstrapping. Results: There was no significant association between LoS and Beck Battery scores (all P>0.1). Nevertheless, a qualitative analysis revealed a moderate association, ranging from weak to strong, between LoS and pass for accuracy scores (R=0.43, 95% CI of 0.15-0.69). Conclusion: WR abilities were not significant associated with LoS in athletes with disabilities. Our results suggest that trunk stability has minor impact on overall WR performance.