Preseason Functional Movement Screen But Not Y-Balance Test Scores Predict Musculoskeletal Injury in Elite Female...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Y-Balance Test (YBT) are utilized to identify athletes at risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
• The predictive value of FMS and YBT for injuries in elite female softball athletes remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare FMS, Y-Balance upper quarter (YBT-UQ), and lower quarter (YBT-LQ) scores between injured and non-injured elite female softball athletes.
• To determine the efficacy of FMS and YBT scores in predicting the likelihood of musculoskeletal injury in this population.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 38 elite fast-pitch female softball athletes.
• Preseason FMS and YBT assessments were conducted, followed by season-long injury data collection and categorization.
• Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to assess injury prediction.

Main Results:

• Injured athletes exhibited significantly lower FMS composite scores compared to non-injured athletes (P ≤ .001).
• Lower FMS scores were a significant predictor of injury (odds ratio = 0.231, P = .009).
• No significant differences were found in YBT-UQ or YBT-LQ composite scores between injured and non-injured groups, nor were they significant predictors of injury.

Conclusions:

• The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) demonstrates value as a screening tool for identifying musculoskeletal injury risk in elite fast-pitch female softball athletes.
• The Y-Balance Test (YBT) did not prove to be a significant predictor of injury in this specific athletic group.