Efficacy of the functional movement screen: a review
Kornelius Kraus1, Elisabeth Schütz, William R Taylor
11Department for Sports Science, Munich University of Federal Armed Forces, Neubiberg, Germany; 2PROathlete Competence Center, Munich, Germany; 3Medical Department, University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany; 4Center for Sports Science and Sports Medicine Berlin (CSSB), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 5Institute for Biomechanics, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland; and 6Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is reliable for injury risk prediction in team sports when raters are experienced. Its effectiveness in improving general motor quality and predicting performance requires further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Exercise Science
- Biomechanics
Background:
- The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a tool used to assess movement quality and identify asymmetries.
- Its application in sports science research aims to understand its utility in performance prediction, injury risk, and program design.
- Evaluating the methodological quality of FMS-driven research is crucial for reliable interpretation of findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize scientific literature on Functional Movement Screen (FMS) research.
- To assess the FMS's reliability, validity, and effectiveness in predicting injury risk and athletic performance.
- To evaluate the impact of FMS-based interventions and optimize future study methodologies.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted using manual and electronic databases.
- Thirty-four articles meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed and coded.
- Studies were classified according to Bishop's Applied Research Model for the Sport Sciences (ARMSS) stages.
Main Results:
- The FMS demonstrates reliability with experienced raters (>100 trials).
- Factor analysis suggests the FMS is a unitary construct, questioning the FMS total score's validity.
- Moderate evidence supports the FMS total score for predicting injury risk in team sports, but its ability to predict athletic performance is limited.
- FMS-based interventions generally improve motor quality, though one randomized trial did not confirm these benefits.
Conclusions:
- The FMS is a reliable screening tool, particularly for injury risk prediction in team sports.
- Its utility in predicting athletic performance is questionable, and its impact on motor quality requires further robust research.
- Critical evaluation by strength and conditioning specialists is essential for effective field implementation of FMS findings.
