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Table 4 Theme 5 - Findings of the studies: 3D joint angle of the tackler during a tackle task.

From: 3D Biomechanics of Rugby Tackle Techniques to Inform Future Rugby Research Practice: a Systematic Review

 

Kinematic variable

Significant findings

Kerr et al. [25]

Contact

 

Sample of collegiate players

  

Descriptive data only

Knee flexion (°)

Right: 108.0 ± 28.8

Left: 122.5 ± 25.8

  

Hip flexion (°)

Right: 97.7 ± 21.5

Left: 98.5 ± 21.7

  

Cervical spine (°)

147.0 ± 25.8

  

ROM

Knee flexion (°)

82.0–141.0

  

Hip flexion (°)

81.0–120.7

  

Cervical spine (°)

129.7–163.5

  

Contact

Knee flexion (°)

Skilled (male + female)

Novice (male + female)

Skilled (male + female)

Novice (male + female)

↑ knee flexion after video intervention versus before in skilled male and female players (P = 0.02), and female skilled players (P < 0.01)

↑ right knee flexion in skilled male and female players post-intervention (P = 0.04), male players pre-intervention (P = 0.01), and female players post-intervention (P = 0.01).

Pre-intervention

Pre-intervention

Post-intervention

Post-intervention

77.2 ± 28.9

64.3 ± 7.9

117.6 ± 35.8

79.3 ± 28.3

Hip flexion (°)

73.1 ± 22.0

65.5 ± 14.3

68.5 ± 21.7

73.6 ± 15.2

NS

Seminati et al. [26]

Contact

 

Dominant shoulder stationary

Non-dominant shoulder stationary

Dominant shoulder In-motion

  

Neck flexion (°)

22 ± 15

27 ± 19

27 ± 15

 

↓ neck flexion in dominant shoulder side in a stationary position than non-dominant shoulder side in a stationary position (d±90% CI = −0.26± 0.36) or dominant shoulder side when in-motion (d±90% CI = −0.34 ± 0.21)

Neck lateral flexion (°)

12 ± 9

18 ± 10

12 ± 8

 

↓ neck lateral flexion in dominant shoulder side than non-dominant shoulder side when in a stationary position (d±90% CI = −0.64 ± 0.46)

Neck rotation (°)

14 ± 10

16 ± 15

13 ± 11

 

—

Trunk flexion (°)

52 ± 10

52 ± 11

52 ± 10

 

—

Trunk lateral flexion (°)

23 ± 6

18 ± 5

20 ± 10

 

↑ trunk lateral flexion in dominant shoulder side in a stationary position than non-dominant shoulder side in a stationary position (d±90% CI = 0.92 ± 0.42) or dominant shoulder side when in-motion (d±90% CI = 0.33 ± 0.44)

Trunk rotation (°)

23 ± 13

21 ± 15

21 ± 18

  
 

Kinematic variable

Shoulder (normal) (n=21)

Low (n=22)

Shoulder and opposite-leg (n=13)

Low and opposite-Leg (n=10)

 

Kawasaki et al. [28]

Contact

Knee flexion (°)

72.1 (−78.1, −66.2)

79.2 (−86.7, −71.8)

52.4 (−56.4, −48.4)

59.4 (−65.7, −53.1)

 

Ankle extension (°)

31.4 (26.8, 36.0)

33.3 (28.4, 38.2)

15.9 (10.3, 21.5)

24.2 (15.4, 33.1)

 

Hip extension (°)

−76.3 (−83.4, −69.1)

−82.1 (−89.7, −74.5)

−79.2 (−92.3, −66.2)

−89.0 (−98.0, −79.9)

 

Hip abduction (°)

2.6 (−4.1, 9.2)

−0.4 (−6.0, 5.2)

−2.6 (−7.4, 2.3)

−6.6 (−9.9, −3.4)

 

Hip external rotation (°)

4.1 (−2.7, 10.8)

6.5 (−1.8, 14.8)

16.7 (6.2, 27.1)

12.2 (2.5, 21.9)

 

Trunk flexion (°)

53.4 (−57.8, −49.0)

58.3 (−63.1, −53.4)

55.9 (−64.2, −47.6)

46.8 (−53.4, −40.3)

 

Trunk lateral flexion (°)

−9.4 (−13.2, −5.5)

−3.0 (−7.6, 1.6)

−21.7 (−30.3, −13.1)

−21.8 (−30.7, −12.9)

↓ trunk lateral flexion to the side of the impact shoulder (normal) versus shoulder and opposite-leg tackle (P<0.01); and more prominent in low height tackle (P=0.01)

Trunk rotation (°)

9.2 (5.0, 13.4)

6.0 (1.6, 10.5)

1.3 (-7.8, 10.5)

−7.3 (−10.2, −4.4)

↑ trunk rotation to the side of the impact shoulder during shoulder (normal) versus shoulder and opposite-leg tackle (P<0.01); and more prominent in low height (P=0.03)

Trunk inclination (°)

3.9 (1.0, 6.8)

−8.4 (−11.9, -4.9)

3.3 (−0.1, 6.6)

−10 (−16.1, −3.9)

↓ trunk inclination in low than shoulder (normal) tackle (P<0.01)

Neck extension (°)

34.6 (29.5, 39.8)

40.7 (35.2, 46.2)

29.0 (21.8, 36.2)

34.6 (25.2, 43.9)

 

Neck bending (°)

−8.0 (−11.1, −5.0)

−5.6 (−10.8, −0.4)

−8.2 (−14.6, −1.9)

−9.9 (−16.1, −3.7)

 

Neck rotation (°)

−5.9 (−9.9, −2.0)

-7.0 (-14.5, 0.5)

0.4 (−7.6, 8.5)

4.1 (−5.6, 13.7)

 

Shoulder external rotation (°)

59.3 (51.6, 66.9)

63.9 (57.1, 70.8)

56.7 (43.7, 69.6)

37.8 (21.9, 53.8)

 

Shoulder abduction (°)

59.3 (54.2 to 64.4)

66.2 (61.4 to 71.1)

58.2 (49.3 to 67.0)

42.2 (33.4 to 51.0)

 

Shoulder horizontal abduction (°)

−41.6 (−46.7, −36.6)

−41.2 (−49.2, −33.2)

−30.5 (−42.6, −18.3)

−29.1 (−43.8, −14.3)

 

Two steps before contact

Ankle extension (°)

0.6 (-3.1, 4.3)

0.6 (−4.9, 6.1)

3.7 (−4.7, 12.2)

19.6 (12.2, 27.1)

 

Knee flexion (°)

65.6 (−71.2, −59.9)

67.6 (−74.9, −60.4)

51.1 (−56.5, −45.7)

48.9 (−54.8, −43.0)

 

Hip external rotation (°)

1.2 (−3.6, 6.1)

1.4 (−6.6, 9.5)

0.9 (-5.2, 7.0)

11.9 (3.0, 20.8)

 

Hip abduction (°)

−5.3 (−7.6, −3.0)

−8.6 (−11.3, −5.9)

-5.9 (-9.3, -2.5)

−7.5 (−10.6, −4.4)

Hip abduction angles at the two steps before contact significantly influenced trunk inclination at the impact

Hip extension (°)

−10.7 (−16.2, -5.3)

−13.5 (−19.8, −7.2)

−11.8 (−24.1, 0.5)

−90.6 (−98.2, −83.0)

 

Trunk inclination (°)

32.5 (28.2, 36.7)

24.8 (20.8, 28.8)

32.2 (26.5, 38.0)

8.2 (1.6, 14.8)

 

Trunk rotation (°)

0.4 (−3.7, 4.5)

−2.5 (−6.6, 1.6)

9.5 (5.9, 13.2)

−9.1 (−11.9, −6.4)

Trunk rotation contralateral to the side of the impacted shoulder at the two steps before contact significantly influenced trunk inclination at the impact

Trunk bending (°)

−3.9 (−6.6, −1.2)

1.7 (−1.8, 5.1)

−5.9 (−14.2, 2.4

−3.5 (−17.9, −9.1)

 

Trunk flexion (°)

47.5 (-53.2, −41.9

58.1 (−64.0, −52.3)

48.2 (−54.0, −42.4)

52.6 (−58.7, −46.4)

 

Shoulder horizontal abduction (°)

−21.0 (−46.3, 4.2)

-19.8 (−44.4, 4.9)

−17.1 (−43.4, 9.3)

−33.2 (−46.2, −20.2)

 

Shoulder abduction (°)

32.0 (26.7, 37.3)

38.5 (33.9, 43.2)

32.4 (24.6, 40.2)

40.5 (30.6, 50.5)

 

Shoulder external rotation (°)

37.7 (28.9, 46.6)

43.5 (37.2, 49.8)

22.5 (10.3, 34.7)

32.5 (18.9, 46.1)

 

Neck rotation (°)

10.3 (8.2, 12.4)

10.2 (7.0, 13.4)

−2.5 (−6.8, 1.8)

8.2 (2.0, 14.4)

 

Neck bending (°)

4.6 (1.7, 7.5)

6.8 (3.3, 10.3)

−8.4 (−11.2, −5.5)

−12.3 (−17.6, −7.0)

 

Neck extension (°)

26.1 (17.7, 34.5

33.1 (27.7, 38.5)

28.0 (18.3, 37.7)

38.0 (29.2, 46.8)

 

Tanabe et al. [27]

Contact

 

Shoulder (n=32)

Arm (n=23)

Head-in-Front (n=4)

  

Neck extension (°)

28 (22, 34)

28 (20, 36)

13.2 (6, 20) (sig)

  

Neck bending (°)

−12 (−16, −7)

−13 (−21, −4)

−5 (−20, 11)

  

Neck rotation (°)

−19 (−23, −15)

−18 (−26, −10)

−35 (−68, −3)

  

Shoulder external rotation (°)

54 (48, 60)

61 (49, 73)

33 (20, 47) (sig)

  

Shoulder abduction (°)

75 (68, 82)

95 (84, 107) (sig)

97 (59, 136)

  

Shoulder horizontal abduction (°)

−30 (−35, −26)

−36 (−43, −28)

−46 (−67, −25)

  

Trunk flexion (°)

59 (−63, −55)

59 (−66, −52)

55 (−65, −44)

  

Trunk bending (°)

−22 (−27, −17)

−13 (−23, −3)

−25 (−49, −1)

  

Trunk rotation (°)

4 (−2, 9)

10 (3, 16)

7 (2, 12)

  
  1. Note. Sig significant, NS non-significant, NR not reported
  2. Reference [25] reported data as mean ± SD [28]; reported data as either mean (95% confidence interval) or odds ratio (95% confidence interval)