Diagnostic procedures and analysis of body asymmetries in the monitoring and prevention of sports injuries (ASPORT)
The project aims to analyse the relationship between anatomical, motor and functional asymmetries and the occurrence of sports injuries, using contemporary diagnostic procedures and monitoring athletes at different competitive levels. The project will include translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the OSTRC-H2 and OSTRC-O2 questionnaires to enable precise monitoring of athletes’ health.
Advanced diagnostic equipment and tests will also be used to assess athletes, focusing on anatomical, motor and functional asymmetries and their relationship with injury. The research will examine additional factors associated with sports injuries, including sociodemographic, anthropometric, psychological and training variables.
The methodological framework is based on a prospective cohort design. All collected data will be integrated into a digital repository to support long-term sustainability and access to results. Particular emphasis is placed on digitising all stages of the research and actively involving early-career researchers in data collection, processing and analysis.
By combining contemporary diagnostic procedures, digital monitoring and multidimensional analysis of athletes, the project is expected to advance scientific understanding and the practical prevention of sports injuries. The results are intended to support precise health monitoring and the identification of key risk factors, laying the foundations for personalised prevention strategies and a sustainable monitoring system in sport.
- Acronym
- ASPORT
- Project reference
- 581-UNIOS-78
- Start date
- 1 October 2025
- Research area
- Social sciences
- Total value (EUR)
- 83,760.00 EUR
- Project lead
- Danijela Kuna
- Role
- Project lead
- Contact person
- Danijela Kuna — Project lead
- dkuna@kifos.hr
- Address
- Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek
Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek
Drinska 16a
HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia - Research in focus
- Understanding movement. Tracking risk more precisely.
- Research overview
- ASPORT investigates the relationship between anatomical, motor and functional asymmetries and sports injuries. It combines contemporary diagnostics with monitoring of athletes at different competitive levels to build a more complete picture of their health and factors associated with injury.
The research focuses on athletes, their individual characteristics and changes that can be monitored over time. - Research approach
- Measurement and monitoring over time
- Expected contribution
- A foundation for individualised prevention
Project team
Danijela Kuna
Mirela Šunda
Petar Šušnjara
Josip Cvenić
Mijo Ćurić
Davor Kuna
Klara Findrik
Atila Salaj
Lucija Petko
Lucija Faj
Results and outcomes
Report on the ASPORT research meeting (document in Croatian)
- Type
- Meeting report
Publications
Indicators of Neuromuscular, Metabolic and Perceptual Fatigue Following a 5 km Run.
- Authors
- Findrik, K.; Šušnjara, P.; Kuna, D.
- Year
- 2026
- Journal / proceedings
- Sports
- Volume / issue
- 14(7)
- Pages / article number
- 262
- DOI
- 10.3390/sports14070262
Acute Neuromuscular Responses and Interlimb Asymmetry Following 5 km and Half-Marathon Running in Recreational Runners
- Authors
- Kuna, D.; Šušnjara, P.;Findrik, K.
- Year
- 2026
- Journal / proceedings
- Biology
- Volume / issue
- 15(19)
- Pages / article number
- 1682
- DOI
- 10.3390/biology15191682
Documents
Report on the ASPORT research meeting (PDF in Croatian)
- Document language
- hr
Research themes
Asymmetries and sports injuries
- Description
- Advanced diagnostic equipment and tests are used to assess anatomical, motor and functional asymmetries. The research examines how these differences relate to injuries in athletes at different competitive levels.
Monitoring athlete health
- Description
- The project includes translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the OSTRC-H2 and OSTRC-O2 questionnaires. These instruments are intended to support more precise monitoring alongside diagnostic measurements.
A broader view of risk factors
- Description
- In addition to asymmetries, the project examines sociodemographic, anthropometric, psychological and training variables. This approach brings several groups of data together in the study of sports injuries.
Methodology
The methodological framework uses a prospective cohort design: athletes are followed over time to investigate relationships between their characteristics and the occurrence of injuries.
- Diagnostics and questionnaires. Assessment of asymmetries is combined with health monitoring using adapted and validated questionnaires.
- Integrated data. The project plans to integrate collected data into a digital repository to support long-term sustainability and the availability of results.
- Early-career researchers. Young researchers participate in data collection, processing and analysis, with an emphasis on digital research processes.
Expected contribution
Combining diagnostic procedures, digital monitoring and multidimensional analysis is expected to advance the understanding of sports injuries.
The research aims to contribute to identifying key risk factors and monitoring athlete health more precisely, creating a foundation for personalised prevention strategies and sustainable monitoring in sport.