Is the Landing Error Scoring System Reliable and Valid? A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) is a clinical tool used to identify athletes with high injury-risk biomechanical patterns during jump-landing tasks.
• It is frequently employed in research and clinical practice for athlete screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing literature on the psychometric properties of the LESS.
• To evaluate the reliability and validity of the LESS as a screening tool for athletic injuries.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was conducted using three electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus.
• Studies published in English, using the LESS as the main outcome measure and addressing its reliability, validity, and predictive validity were included.
• Ten studies met the inclusion criteria and were assessed for quality.

Main Results:

• The overall LESS score demonstrated good to excellent intrarater, interrater, and intersession reliability (ICC range: 0.81-0.99).
• Validity against 3D motion capture was good for the overall score and moderate to excellent for individual items related to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk factors.
• The predictive value of the LESS for ACL and other noncontact lower-extremity injuries remains uncertain.

Conclusions:

• The LESS is a reliable screening tool for assessing jump-landing biomechanics.
• Further research is required to enhance the LESS's validity against motion capture systems and confirm its predictive capabilities for lower-extremity injuries.