Associations Between Anthropometric Characteristics, Jump Performance and Recorded Tendon-Related Disorders in Youth Volleyball Players

Background: Patellar tendon complaints and other tendon-related disorders are common in jumping sports; however, the relationship between recorded tendon problems, anthropometric characteristics, and neuromuscular performance in youth athletes remains poorly understood. This study explored the association between height, body mass, competitive age category, a retrospectively recorded history of tendon-related disorders, and jumping performance in youth volleyball players. Methods: Thirty-three male youth volleyball players competing in the Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 categories participated in this cross-sectional study. For each athlete, Reach (maximum standing reach height), Vertec (maximum height attained during a maximal vertical jump), and vertical jump height, calculated as the difference between Vertec and Reach, were recorded. The presence or absence of tendon-related disorders was determined retrospectively from medical history information and club documentation. Data were analyzed using a multivariate general linear model, followed by univariate analyses and Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons. Results: Height showed a highly significant effect on the set of performance variables (Wilks’ λ = 0.066; p < 0.001), and competitive age category was also significantly associated with performance (Wilks’ λ = 0.655; p = 0.049). In contrast, neither body mass (p = 0.854) nor the tendon-related disorder variable (p = 0.293) demonstrated significant associations. Univariate analyses revealed significant effects of competitive age category on Vertec performance (p = 0.018) and vertical jump height (p = 0.008), but not on Reach (p = 0.542). Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons showed significant differences between the Under-19 and Under-15 categories for Vertec performance (p = 0.017), and between Under-19 and Under-15 (p = 0.007) as well as Under-17 and Under-15 (p = 0.034) for vertical jump height. Conclusions: Jumping performance in youth volleyball appears to be primarily influenced by anthropometric characteristics and developmental factors associated with competitive age category, whereas the dichotomous retrospective classification of tendon-related disorders adopted in the present study did not discriminate performance level. These findings highlight the importance of integrating functional, clinical, and training-load monitoring to better understand athletic development and tendon vulnerability.