Research Proposal

Anastasia Engelsman
GT Intern/Mentor Program
2016-2017

Research Title: A Comparison of injury history versus a functional one legged squat and hop
and their ability to predict injuries over the course of a competitive dance season.

Overview of research: For my research project, I will be studying injuries in dancers. Some
fields I will focus on to help me with my research are lower extremity malalignment, muscle
imbalances, and the predictors of injuries. This topic is in need of analysis because of the lack of
knowledge available. There is no simple assessment or functional test that can be done pre
season that has been documented to predict injuries. This information would be valuable in
designing programs to prevent injury and minimize lost performance time.

Background and history of research of the issue: Injury rates among dancers are typically
fairly high. In a study published in JOS PT by Nick Allen et al, 52 elite level ballet dancers were
allowed for a year and they sustained a total of 355 injuries which is a mean of 6.8 injuries per
dancer. Mean severity of injuries was 3 days for females and 9 days for males. This would result
in a significant amount of lost time in rehearsals and performances. For a professional dance
company, this can represent a significant expense.
In a study done by Jennifer Gamboa et. al, dancers were screened for posture and
strength. These did not successfully predict injury rates during the year.
Clinicians frequently use functional tests such as a one leg squat and a one leg hop to
screen for gross weaknesses and neuromuscular control. Malalignment during these activities can
result in repetitive loading on soft tissue structures and can lead to injury. Since approximately
65-70% of dance injuries are overuse soft tissue injuries being able to correct these
misalignments may allow us to decrease the number of injuries that occur.

Problem statement and rationale: The issue is that there is no simple assessment or functional
test that can be done pre season that has been documented to predict injuries. This is important
because this information could allow us to to design programs that could decrease dancer injuries
and lost rehearsal and performance time. ;Even though this issue is tailored to dancers, other
athletes can benefit from this. For example, runners suffer from lower extremity injuries due to
constant improper positioning in stance phase.

Research methodology:
Research Question and Hypothesis: Is medical history a better predictor of future
injury than a one leg squat or a one leg hop. I propose that the screening of a one legged squat
and one legged hop will be a better predictor of injury over the course of the season than medical
history.
 Basis of hypothesis: The one leg squat and one leg hop can be analyzed to reveal
patterns of weakness and improper neuromuscular control that predispose the dancer to injury.
More static screening (i.e strength test and range of motion that have been used in the past) do
not take into account neuromuscular control which is an important part of maintaining alignment
and an important part of dance.

Research design: I will be conducting a correlational study. The company dancers will be asked
to fill out a medical history of prior orthopaedic injuries. They will then be filmed using a motion
capture program doing a one leg squat and a one leg hop. The films will then be analyzed for
measurements to asses malalignments during these activities. Injuries will then be tracked for the
course of the competitive season. At the end of this season a statistical analysis will be used to
determine if malalignment on the functional tests correlate better with the injury patterns than
prior medical history.

Operational Definition:
Injury is defined as a physical ailment causing loss of rehearsal and
performance time.
Malalignment is defined as any deviation from the alignment of the
knee directly over the second toe during functional activities. This will be
measured as changes in the angle between the pelvis and the femur and changes in
the angle at the knee.

Product overview: The intended audience will be my classmates, designated faculty and the
River Hill Dance Companies. I also plan to present my findings to the owners and teachers of my
studio so that they may use the results to help prevent future injuries.

Logistical Consideration: The logistical considerations include scheduling the time to videotape
every company member. Since all company members must be present on saturday, I will be
using the free time between dances to videotape the subjects.
Another issue is that since I will be videotaping minors, I need to obtain their parents
consent for them to be part of the study. A consent form has been emailed to the parents of all
company members and a collection envelope left at the front desk. No child will be videotaped
until that permission slip is obtained.
I also need to collect and verify the medical histories. The medical history has also been
emailed to all of the parents. I plan to follow up via email for any questions or clarifications.
The final challenge will be tracking injuries during the season since I am not in class with
all of the different age groups. To do this I plan to email each of the subjects once per month
during the season to request a report of any injuries causing lost performance or rehearsal time.
Mentor Signature_______________________________________________________________