Identificación del Nivel de Riesgo de Lesiones en Miembros Inferiores en Futbolistas del Gualaceo Sporting Club, Septiembre 2025 - Febrero 2026

Abstract

Background: Soccer players face high physical demands that increase the risk of injury, specifically in the lower limbs, due to multiple factors that affect dynamic balance and neuromuscular control. Objective: To determine the level of risk of lower limb injuries in soccer players from the Gualaceo Sporting Club using the Star Excursion Balance Test. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and prospective study was conducted with 40 professional and amateur soccer players. Sociodemographic and clinical information was collected, and the two-sided Star Excursion Balance Test was administered to assess the risk of lower limb injuries. Data analysis and tabulation were performed using SPSS version 22. For categorical variables, frequencies and percentages were used, while for quantitative variables, measures of central tendency and dispersion were used. The chi-square test was used to analyze the association between the most relevant variables in the study, considering a statistical significance level of p < 0.05. Results: A predominance of low to moderate injury risk was observed, with the left lower limb showing low (50%) and moderate (40%) risk in weight-bearing. The opposite limb showed moderate risk (45%) and low risk (37.5%). No statistically significant relationship was found between the variables analyzed. Conclusions: The Star Excursion Balance Test is a more rigorous and precise screening tool that identified a significantly higher risk of injury, classified as high, in the weight-bearing right leg.