Context: 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.
Objectives: 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.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Methods: 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.
Results: 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.
Conclusions: FMS appears to be a valuable screening tool for assessing musculoskeletal injury risk in elite fast-pitch female softball athletes.
Keywords: dynamic stability; movement patterns; screening.