Clinical Measures Associated With Dynamic Balance and Functional Movement

Abstract

Decreased balance and impaired functional movement have been linked with increased injury risk. The purpose of our study was to determine the association between specific measures of power, strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance compared with more global measures of dynamic balance, using the Y-Balance Test (YBT), and functional movement, using the functional movement screen (FMS), in healthy soldiers. Our participants (n = 64; 53 men, 11 women) were healthy active duty service members (25.2 ± 3.8 years, 25.1 ± 3.1 kg·m(-2)). Seventeen tests with 38 associated measures of strength, power, flexibility, endurance, balance, and functional measures were assessed. A significant Pearson product moment correlation (r > 0.2 and p < 0.01) was used to narrow the number of variables of interest. Two hierarchical stepwise regression analyses were performed to determine the most parsimonious set of variables associated with the YBT and FMS performance scores. Our results included a 4 variable model (F = 13.4, p < 0.001) that was associated with YBT scores (R = 0.72, R2 = 0.51). Superior performance on the YBT was associated with better performance on the FMS lunge and upper trunk mobility tests, decreased number of hops during a 6-m hop test, and greater gastrocnemius flexibility. A second 4 variable model (F = 11.813, p < 0.001) was associated with FMS scores (R = 0.70, R2 = 0.50). Superior performance on the FMS was associated with greater anterior reach on the YBT, greater distance on the crossover hop test, increased hamstring flexibility, and higher levels of self-reported function through the lower-extremity functional scale. Physical fitness leaders and clinicians could use these models to inform decision making when developing and assessing the outcomes of a personalized intervention program for those with low FMS and YBT scores.

What Risk Factors Are Associated With Musculoskeletal Injury in US Army Rangers? A Prospective Prognostic Study

“…In addition to these measures, results from the most recent Army Physical Fitness Test was collected. Further description of these tests is outlined subsequently and has been reported previously [33,39,40].…”

Performance on the Functional Movement Screen Is Related to Hop Performance But Not to Hip and Knee Strength in Collegiate Football Players

“…Unfortunately, the authors did not report any actual values of FMS ™ or other test scores, and the total FMS ™ score was not included in their correlation analysis. 22 A significant correlation between FMS ™ score and cross over hop distance was previously observed in active service duty members 23 . The correlation coefficient in that study was lower than in the current study, which may be explained by the different distributions in FMS ™ scores (15.7±2.0) and cross over hop distance (4.28±1.01m) in that study compared to those in the present study.…”

Relationships between Functional Movement Screen, VAS, ODI and Back Endurance in Individual with Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain

“…The average was 10.62 of a possible total of 21, 2,21 Previous studies found a significant direct relationship between a history of LBP and decreased ASLR. 19 Shum et al reported limited motion in the hip and lumbar spine of subjects with CLBP during sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit motions. 13 Sung et al suggested significantly decreased kinetic and kinematic stability, poor balance performance, and an altered proprio- …”