Lumbar spine bone mineral adaptation: cricket fast bowlers versus controls

Elite adult male fast bowlers have high lumbar spine bone mineral, particularly on the contralateral side to their bowling arm. It is thought that bone possesses its greatest ability to adapt to loading during adolescence, but it is unknown at what age the greatest changes in lumbar bone mineral and asymmetry develops in fast bowlers.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the adaptation of the lumbar vertebrae in fast bowlers compared to controls and how this is associated with age.

Methods: 91 male fast bowlers and 84 male controls aged 14 to 24 years had between one and three annual anterior-posterior lumbar spine DXA scans. Total (L1-L4) and regional ipsilateral and contralateral L3 and L4 (respective to bowling arm) bone mineral density and content (BMD/C) were derived. Multi-level models examined the differences in lumbar bone mineral trajectories between fast bowlers and controls.

Results: At L1-L4 BMC and BMD, and contralateral BMD sites, fast bowlers demonstrated a greater negative quadratic pattern to their accrual trajectories than controls. Fast bowlers had greater increases in BMC in L1-L4 between 14 and 24 years of 55% compared to controls (41%). Within vertebra asymmetry was evident in all fast bowlers and increased by up to 13% in favour of the contralateral side.

Conclusions: Lumbar vertebral adaptation to fast bowling substantially increased with age, particularly on the contralateral side. The greatest accrual was during late adolescence and early adulthood, which may correspond with the increasing physiological demands of adult professional sport.