Predictive Validity of a Functional Movement Screen in Professional Basketball Players.

Donald L. Hoover,Francis T. Esslinger,Lawrence W. Judge,Rachel A. Tinius,Clyde B. Killian,Steven G. Wilkinson,David M. Bellar

doi:10.3390/medicina56120724

Abstract

Background and objectives: Striking a balance between maximizing performance and preventing injury remains elusive in many professional sports. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative risk of non-contact injuries in professional basketball players based on predictive cut scores on the Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS). Materials and Methods: Thirty-two professional basketball players from the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) participated in this study. This observational pilot cohort study assessed and scored each participant using the FMS during training camp. Each athlete was then tracked throughout the season while recording the number, type, and time lost due to injuries. Possible exposures, actual exposures, and exposures missed due to non-contact injury (NCI) for each athlete were calculated and then used to determine the crude and specific incident rates for exposures missed due to NCI per 1000 exposures. Results: Linear regression models were used to evaluate the predictive ability of the FMS score for total missed exposures, NCI, and CI missed exposures. In all models, the FMS total score failed to attain significance as a predictor (p > 0.05). FMS scores ranged from 5 to 18. The recommended cut score of 14 showed a sensitivity of 0.474 and a specificity of 0.750. The cut score of 15 showed the best combination, exhibiting a sensitivity of 0.579 and specificity of 0.625. A total of 5784 exposures to NCI were possible for the men and women combined, and 681 possible exposures were missed. Of these, 23.5% were due to NCI, 16.5% were due to contact injuries (CI), and 60% were due to illnesses and personal reasons. Conclusions: The FMS proved to be a measure that was not associated with any injury measure in this sample of professional basketball players, suggesting the instrument lacks predictive validity in this population.

Highlights

Professionals from coaching, healthcare, and scientific circles have long sought to help athletes maximize performance and avoid injury
Men will sustain an non-contact injury (NCI), while missing 29 of every 1000 exposures due to NCI; 5.8 of every women will experience an NCI, while missing 36 of every 1000 exposures. These findings suggest that male professional basketball players may be more likely to sustain an NCI than female professional basketball players, women missed more exposures due to NCI than did men
Krackow [29] found that the taller, heavier, and higher relative body weight football players achieved lower Functional Movement ScreenTM (FMS) scores than shorter, lighter, and lower BMI football players. These findings suggest that lower FMS might not be a result of insufficient mobility and stability, but rather the FMS may possess an inherent bias in atypical athletic populations [29]

Summary

Introduction

Professionals from coaching, healthcare, and scientific circles have long sought to help athletes maximize performance and avoid injury. The literature suggests that significant rates of overuse or non-contact injuries (NCI) lead to decreased function in athletic populations [3,4,5]. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative risk of non-contact injuries in professional basketball players based on predictive cut scores on the Functional Movement ScreenTM (FMS). This observational pilot cohort study assessed and scored each participant using the FMS during training camp. Results: Linear regression models were used to evaluate the predictive ability of the FMS score for total missed exposures, NCI, and CI missed exposures.

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion