Accounting for multiple injuries does not improve the Functional Movement Screen (FMS™) as a tool to identify injury risk among English Premier League academy football players: a 3-season prospective cohort study. Issue 3 (3rd July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McCunn, Robert; Blackburne, Colin; Newton, Florence; Carroll, Noel; Bakken, Arnhild; Ryan, Desmond; McCall, Alan
• Is Part Of: Science and medicine in football. Volume 3:Issue 3(2019)
• Page Start: 251
• Page End: 254
• Publication Date: 2019-07-03
• Subjects: Screening -- risk -- elite -- adolescent -- soccer; Soccer injuries -- Periodicals; Soccer -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sports medicine -- Periodicals; Soccer -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 617.102763
• DOI: 10.1080/24733938.2019.1595114
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2473-3938

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Purpose : The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between FMS™ score and non-contact injury while accounting for participant exposure and multiple injuries to the same player. Materials and methods : Sixty-four players were screened during the preseason period with non-contact injuries and exposure time recorded prospectively for the entirety of three consecutive seasons (2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17). One-hundred and eighteen player-season observations were included in the analysis. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were utilized to explore associations between FMS™ composite, individual sub-test scores, the number of sub-test asymmetries and non-contact injury. Results : The FMS™ composite score demonstrated a likely trivial (IRR: 1.05 95%CI: 0.94–1.17) association with non-contact injury. The number of individual sub-test asymmetries and all of the sub-test scores (with the exception of the hurdle step, IRR: 1.58 95%CI: 0.99–2.52) demonstrated unclear associations with non-contact injury. Conclusions : No associations with non-contact injury were observed for the FMS™ composite score, individual sub-test scores or the number of sub-test asymmetries, even when accounting for exposure and multiple injuries to the same player. Practical implications : The FMS™ composite score is likely not useful for injury risk stratification, nor are the individual sub-tests or the number of asymmetries.