Sensorimotor awareness may be a key component for preventing ACL injuries.
A new study conducted an fMRI scan on soccer athletes prior to the onset of the competitive season. During the season, two athletes experienced ACL injuries.
The researchers examined the preseason scans of the two injured athletes and compared them to the preseason scans of eight athletes who did not sustain any ACL injuries.
The authors found that the athletes who did not sustain an ACL injury exhibited a stronger connection between a cortical sensory-motor region and a cerebellar region responsible for balance and coordination. This suggests that the improved sensorimotor awareness may have decreased the risk for the ACL injury to occur.
Conclusions
Strength and conditioning coaches may benefit greatly from training their athletes to improve sensorimotor awareness capabilities. Not only has inferior cortical mapping been previously linked to sensitized nervous systems and chronic pain patients, but this study further provides evidence that structural injuries such as ACL tears may be more prevalent in populations with decreased sensorimotor awareness.
References