The relationship between grip styles and musculoskeletal injuries in table tennis players in Lagos, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Table tennis is a high skill sport that requires athletes to make accurate judgments. It involves explosive, repeated movements that involve hitting the ball, thus subjecting the musculoskeletal system to risks of overuse injuries. Grip styles in table tennis, which is the way players hold the racquet has been reported to affect injury predisposition. Aims: The aim of this study determine the dominant grip styles among table tennis players in Nigeria and how they predispose to musculoskeletal injuries. Setting and Design: This was cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: This study involved 108 professional and recreational male and female (M = 71, F = 37) table tennis players with at least 6 months playing experience from selected sports clubs in Lagos state, Nigeria. An adapted questionnaire from the Badminton Injury Questionnaire and the Tennis Injury Questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the association between variables was determined using Chi-square and the level of statistical significance was set at P 0.05) between the different grip styles and the prevalence of injury. The personal grip style was, however, significantly (P < 0.05) associated with dislocation and bruises. Conclusion: The Shakehand Grip was the predominant Grip style among Table Tennis players in Lagos and had the highest prevalence of injury.

Keywords

• grip styles
• musculoskeletal injury
• table tennis