Use of clinical movement screening tests to predict injury in sport

Abstract

Clinical movement screening tests are gaining popularity as a means to determine injury risk and to implement training programs to prevent sport injury. While these screens are being used readily in the clinical field, it is only recently that some of these have started to gain attention from a research perspective. This limits applicability and poses questions to the validity, and in some cases the reliability, of the clinical movement tests as they relate to injury prediction, intervention, and prevention. This editorial will review the following clinical movement screening tests: Functional Movement Screen™, Star Excursion Balance Test, Y Balance Test, Drop Jump Screening Test, Landing Error Scoring System, and the Tuck Jump Analysis in regards to test administration, reliability, validity, factors that affect test performance, intervention programs, and usefulness for injury prediction. It is important to review the aforementioned factors for each of these clinical screening tests as this may help clinicians interpret the current body of literature. While each of these screening tests were developed by clinicians based on what appears to be clinical practice, this paper brings to light that this is a need for collaboration between clinicians and researchers to ensure validity of clinically meaningful tests so that they are used appropriately in future clinical practice. Further, this editorial may help to identify where the research is lacking and, thus, drive future research questions in regards to applicability and appropriateness of clinical movement screening tools.

Keywords: Functional Movement Screen; Y Balance Test; Star excursion balance test; Tuck jump analysis

Core tip: Clinical movement screening tests like the Functional Movement Screen and Y Balance Test have gained a lot of popularity in the clinical setting as a tool to predict injury and guide injury prevention programs/training. However, clinicians should be aware that various factors like sex differences, previous injury history, and sport participation can influence the accuracy of these screening tests; therefore, it is important to evaluate the validity, reliability, and accuracy of these tools before implementing them into clinical practice.