The Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST) Performance in Elite Team Handball Players Playing with Shoulder Pain, Previous Pain, or No Pain.
Tina Piil Torabi, Jesper Bencke, Roland van den Tillaar
PMID 38313664WHAT IT FOUND
The CKCUEST did not separate elite handball players with current shoulder pain, previous shoulder pain, or no pain.
Men scored higher than women, so scores should not be compared across sexes.
Key findings
01The CKCUEST did not significantly separate elite handball players playing with shoulder pain, those with previous shoulder pain, and healthy players.
02Male players scored significantly higher than female players on raw, touch, and power scores, with large effect sizes.
03In female players, the modified knee-based CKCUEST produced scores that did not significantly differ from the original test.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This was a cross-sectional comparison, so it cannot show whether CKCUEST scores predict shoulder injury, pain onset, or readiness to return to play. All players were still active in handball, so the pain group may not represent players whose shoulder pain prevents participation. Only 15 female players used the modified test, and group sizes were uneven between pain, previous pain, and healthy players. The original test used a fixed 91.4 cm distance, which may not suit all body sizes.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use CKCUEST scores to identify elite handball players who have shoulder pain. The players with current pain, previous pain, and no pain did not differ significantly, and the study did not test whether the score predicts injury or return to play.