Readiness for Return to Dance After Lower Extremity Injury in the Female Dancer: A Modified Delphi Study

The aim of this paper is to establish consensus among subject area experts on readiness criteria for return to dance (RTD) in female dancers after forced time loss due to lower extremity injury. Recommendations for RTD protocols have previously been published, which generally guide the dancer to progress from barre work to center. However, the question of when to initiate an RTD protocol can be a complex decision itself. We performed a modified, 2-round Delphi study among a diverse group of experts who work closely with preprofessional and professional dancers. Criteria for RTD that achieved ≥75% agreement were included in the final consensus recommendations. Fleiss Kappa was utilized to determine the overall rater agreement. Experts agree on the importance of certain functional tests, such as the single-leg sauté test, the 30-second single-leg balance test, and the airplane test for establishing RTD readiness after various lower extremity injuries.