Search

Objective To describe the location and severity of pain during Functional Movement Screen (FMS) testing in junior Australian football players and to investigate its effect on FMS composite score and injury risk. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Junior male Australian football players (n = 439) completed preseason FMS testing. Pain location and severity (on a 0-to-10 numeric pain-rating scale [NPRS]) were assessed for painful subtests. The FMS composite score was calculated using 3 scoring approaches: “traditional,” a score of zero on painful subtests; “moderate,” a score of zero on painful subtests if an NPRS pain severity was greater than 4; and “raw,” did not adjust painful FMS subtest scores. Players were monitored throughout the competitive season and considered injured when 1 or more matches were missed due to injury. Results One hundred seventy players reported pain during FMS testing. The pain-scoring approach affected mean composite score values (raw, 14.9; moderate, 14.5; traditional, 13.6; P.280). The FMS composite score was not associated with injury risk, regardless of pain-scoring approach (P≥.500). Conclusion Pain was common during FMS testing in junior Australian football players and had a notable effect on the FMS composite score, but minimal effect on subsequent injury risk. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Objectives The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of dysfunctional, asymmetrical, and painful movement in junior Australian Football players using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS). Design Cross-sectional study. Methods Elite junior male Australian Football players ( n =301) aged 15–18 years completed pre-season FMS testing. The FMS consists of 7 sub-tests: deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push-up (TSPU) and rotary stability. The shoulder mobility, TSPU, and rotary stability tests were combined with an accompanying clearing test to assess pain. Each sub-test was scored on an ordinal scale from 0 to 3 and summed to give a composite score out of 21. Composite scores ≤14 were operationally defined as indicating dysfunctional movement. Players scoring differently on left and right sides were considered asymmetrical. Players reported whether they missed any games due to injury in the preceding 22 game season. Results Sixty percent of players ( n =182) had composite scores ≤14, 65% of players ( n =196) had at least one asymmetrical sub-test, and 38% of players ( n =113) had at least one painful sub-test. Forty-two percent of players ( n =126) missed at least one game in the previous season due to injury. Previous injury did not influence composite score ( p =0.951) or asymmetry ( p =0.629). Players reporting an injury during the previous season were more likely to experience pain during FMS testing (odds ratio 1.97, 95% confidence interval 1.23–3.18; p =0.005). Conclusions Junior Australian Football players demonstrate a high prevalence of dysfunctional, asymmetrical, and painful movement during FMS testing.

Objectives: The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a popular screening tool, however, the postulated relationship between prospective injury and FMS scoring remains sparsely explored in adolescent athletes. The aim of the study was to examine the association between pre-season FMS scores and injuries sustained during one regular season competition in elite adolescent Australian football players. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: 237 elite junior Australian football players completed FMS testing during the late pre-season phase and had their weekly playing status monitored during the regular season. The definition of an injury was 'a trauma which caused a player to miss a competitive match'. Results: The median composite FMS score was 14 (mean = 13.5. ±. 2.3). An apriori analysis revealed that the presence of ≥1 asymmetrical sub-test was associated with a moderate increase in the risk of injury (hazard ratio = 2.2 [1.0-4.8]; relative risk = 1.9; p = 0.047; sensitivity = 78.4%; specificity = 41.0%). Notably, post-hoc analysis identified that the presence of ≥2 asymmetrical sub-tests was associated with an even greater increase in risk of prospective injury (hazard ratio = 3.7 [1.6-8.6]; relative risk = 2.8; p = 0.003; sensitivity = 66.7%; specificity = 78.0%). Achieving a composite score of ≤14 did not substantially increase the risk of prospective injury (hazard ratio = 1.1 [0.5-2.1]; p = 0.834). Conclusions: Junior Australian football players demonstrating asymmetrical movement during pre-season FMS testing were more likely to sustain an injury during the regular season than players without asymmetry. Findings suggest that the commonly reported composite FMS threshold score of ≤14 was not associated with injury in elite junior AF players. Refereed/Peer-reviewed