Description of young tennis players' spinal morphotype in different positions

Systematic sports practice can provoke adaptations in the spinal morphotype. Several studies have shown different spinal morphotypes depending on the discipline practiced, as well as improvements in the overall mobility of the spine in flamenco dancers, or postural asymmetries among adolescent volleyball players and sedentary youth. Therefore, we intend to describe the spinal morphotype of adolescent tennis players in different positions. The sample consisted of 40 male tennis players between 14 and 18 years old (mean age: 16.35 +/- 1.82 years, average height: 1.71 +/- 0.14 meters, average weight: 67.45 +/- 10.11 kilograms) and a training frequency of 3 sessions per week for at least 4 years. The angular disposition of the thoracic and lumbar spine, as well as the pelvic tilt angle, were measured using Spinal Mouse. Results showed that in relaxed standing, 79.5% of the subjects laid within normal values; in slumped sitting, more than half of the subjects presented mild and moderate kyphosis, both in the lumbar and thoracic curvatures; and in the DDS and DD-P distance tests, a moderate kyphosis was observed in the lumbar spine in 94.9% and 71.8% of the cases respectively. Therefore, most tennis players present normal thoracic and lumbar angle values while standing, whereas in slumped sitting normality values are reduced by half in both curvatures. On the other hand, kyphotic morphotypes appear in both curvatures during maximum flexion of the trunk, evidencing a functional kyphosis.