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

Functional movement screen (FMS) and Y-balance test (YBT) are used to predict the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. FMS and YBT tools in relation to injury in elite female softball athletes have not been examined.

This study aims to (1) compare the differences in FMS, Y-Balance upper quarter (YBT-UQ), and lower quarter (YBT-LQ) scores between injured and noninjured group and (2) determine the ability of FMS and YBT scores to predict the odds of musculoskeletal injury in elite fast-pitch female softball athletes.

Prospective cohort study.

Thirty-eight athletes (age = 22.9 [2.6] y, height = 170.2 [5.2] cm, mass = 65.5 [7.2] kg) completed preseason FMS and YBT assessments. Injury data were collected throughout one full season, categorized based on the location of the injury, and then recorded as a binary variable (ie, injured and noninjured groups). FMS, YBT-UQ, and YBT-LQ scores were compared between injured and noninjured groups. Binary logistic regression was used to predict the occurrence of injury among softball athletes.

FMS scores were significantly lower for the injured group compared with the FMS scores belonging to the noninjured group (P ≤ .001; d = 1.52). Lower FMS composite scores predicted injury (Wald(df = 1) = 6.755; odds ratio = 0.231; P = .009; 95% confidence interval, 0.076-0.697). No between-group differences existed in YBT-UQ (P = .67; d = 0.14) and YBT-LQ (P = .16; d = 0.50) composite scores between the injured and the noninjured groups. YBT-UQ (Wald(df = 1) = 2.300; odds ratio = 0.893; P = .129; 95% confidence interval, 0.772-1.033) and YBT-LQ (Wald(df = 1) = 0.145; odds ratio = 1.024; P = .703; 95% confidence interval, 0.906-1.157) were not significant predictors of injury.

FMS appears to be a valuable screening tool for assessing musculoskeletal injury risk in elite fast-pitch female softball athletes.