Limb Dominance Does Not Affect Y-Balance Test Performance in Non-Athlete Adolescents

The Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test (YBT-LQ) has been shown to be reliable for assessing dynamic balance in children and adolescents. However, limited research is available about the effects of leg dominance on YBT-LQ performance in adolescents. In addition, there is no consensus on the use of maximum reach or mean reach distance being a better measure of YBT-LQ performance.

The purposes of this study were to determine if there is a difference in the YBT-LQ performance between the dominant and non-dominant limbs in non-athlete adolescents, and to compare the reliability of the maximum reach scores to that of the mean reach scores in this population.

Prospective cohort study.

Twenty-six healthy non-athlete adolescents (13.6 ± 1.0 years, 22 girls, 4 boys) performed the YBT-LQ on two separate days while the same investigator scored their performance. Paired t-tests were used to compare reach distances on dominant and non-dominate stance limbs. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC_3,1) were calculated for the maximum and mean reach distances for three directions (anterior, posterolateral, posteromedial) and the composite scores on each limb.

There was no significant difference in YBT-LQ performance between dominant and non-dominant stance limbs (p > 0.05). Overall, the between-day intra-rater reliability for maximum reach and mean reach scores was moderate-to-good for both limbs (ICC_3,1 = 0.59 - 0.83), but was poor for the composite score on the dominant limb (ICC_3,1 = 0.42) and maximum anterior reach on non-dominant limb (ICC_3,1 = 0.48).

Limb dominance does not seem to be a factor for YBT-LQ performance in this population. The YBT-LQ appears to be a reliable tool for dynamic balance assessment in non-athlete adolescents using the individual score of each direction. The use of mean reach measures seems to slightly improve reliability, specifically the anterior reach direction, in this population.

Level 2b.