(60) RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SPORT POSITION, PATELLAR TENDON ADAPTATIONS, AND SELF-REPORTED MEASURES IN COLLEGIATE WOMEN VOLLEYBALL ATHLETES ACROSS A SEASON

Introduction: Patellar tendinopathy is common in athletes from high-impact sports. Monitoring changes in patellar tendon thickness (PTT) through ultrasound (US) imaging, can indicate structural adaptations in response to external loading. Further, self-reported wellness measures (SRWM) can capture subjective data on factors like perceived recovery, fatigue, and soreness, thereby providing insight into athlete readiness. Limited data exist on the relationships between SRWM and PTT adaptations in collegiate women volleyball athletes. Purpose: To monitor SRWM and PTT across a volleyball season in collegiate women athletes.
Methods: Sixteen National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I women volleyball (VB) athletes (mean ± SD; age: 19.59 ± 1.50 yrs, height: 176.73 ± 7.37 cm, weight: 75.35 ± 9.40 kg, %bodyfat: 28.75 ± 3.59%) participated. VB athletes ((VB position: Libero (L) = 4, Middle Blockers (MB) = 4, Outside Hitters (OH) = 3, Right Side Hitters (RSH) = 2, Setters (S) = 3)) were monitored weekly for a 12-week competitive season to assess relationships between SRWM and PPT adaptations. During each weekly testing session VB athletes completed three SRWM surveys: perceived recovery status (PRSS), overall soreness scale (OSS), and overall fatigue scale (OFS). Further, weekly assessments of the left (L) and right (R) proximal (Prox), medial (Mid), and distal (Dis) PTT were measured using a two-dimensional B-mode US system. Repeated measures correlation (RMCORR) measured relationships between PTT, SRWM, and VB position. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was then used to examine relationships between SRWM and PPT while accounting for the dependencies within individual athletes. Interaction (week and sport position) was included to examine how time affects SRWM. Statistical significance was set to p > 0.05. Results: RMCORR showed that SRWM were significantly correlated to all PTT values (p < 0.001) (Fig. 1). VB position was significantly correlated to all PTT values (p < 0.001). HLM modeling showed that over the course of a competitive season SRWM -PRSS was related to RMid PTT (p= 0.02). Also, SRWM – FSS was related to time for OH (p = 0.008) and RSH (p = 0.04), and SRWM – OSS was related to time for only the OH position (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Findings indicate that SRWM are significantly correlated with PTT values, highlighting the relationship of subjective wellness and objective tendon health metrics. Additionally, these findings contribute to the limited data in court jumping sports connecting subjective wellness and patellar tendon adaptations, as measured by ultrasound imaging. Practical Applications: By utilizing SRWM and PTT values, coaches and sport scientists can monitor tendon health and identify early signs of potential overuse injuries, which can inform individualized approaches for athlete load management. Acknowledgements: Effort sponsored by the Government under Other Transactions Number HT9425-24-9-0019 and GMU OSCAR Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP).