Abstract
Background
Studies investigating the association between the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and sports injury risk have reported mixed results across a range of athlete populations.
Objectives
The purpose of this systematic review was to identify whether athlete age, sex, sport type, injury definition and mechanism contribute to the variable findings.
Study design
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods
A systematic search was conducted in October 2018 using PubMed, EBSCOhost, Scopus, EmBase and Web of Science databases. Studies were included if they were peer reviewed and published in English language, included athletes from any competition level, performed the FMS at baseline to determine risk groups based on FMS composite score, asymmetry or pain, and prospectively observed injury incidence during training and competition. Study eligibility assessment and data extraction was performed by two reviewers. Random effects meta-analyses were used to determine odds ratio (OR), sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals. Sub-group analyses were based on athlete age, sex, sport type, injury definition, and injury mechanism.
Results
Twenty-nine studies were included in the FMS composite score meta-analysis. There was a smaller effect for junior (OR = 1.03 [0.67–1.59]; p = 0.881) compared to senior athletes (OR = 1.80 [1.17–2.78]; p = 0.008) and for male (OR = 1.79 [1.08–2.96]; p = 0.024) compared to female (OR = 1.92 [0.43–8.56]; p = 0.392) athletes. FMS composite scores were most likely to be associated with increased injury risk in rugby (OR = 5.92 [1.67–20.92]; p = 0.006), and to a lesser extent American football (OR = 4.41 [0.94–20.61]; p = 0.059) and ice hockey (OR = 3.70 [0.89–15.42]; p = 0.072), compared to other sports. Specificity values were higher than sensitivity values for FMS composite score. Eleven studies were included in the FMS asymmetry meta-analysis with insufficient study numbers to generate sport type subgroups. There was a larger effect for senior (OR = 1.78 [1.16–2.73]; p = 0.008) compared to junior athletes (OR = 1.21 [0.75–1.96]; p = 0.432). Sensitivity values were higher than specificity values for FMS asymmetry. For all FMS outcomes, there were minimal differences across injury definitions and mechanisms. Only four studies provided information about FMS pain and injury risk. There was a smaller effect for senior athletes (OR = 1.28 [0.33–4.96]; p = 0.723) compared to junior athletes (OR = 1.71 [1.16–2.50]; p = 0.006). Specificity values were higher than sensitivity values for FMS pain.
Conclusion
Athlete age, sex and sport type explained some of the variable findings of FMS prospective injury-risk studies. FMS composite scores and asymmetry were more useful for estimating injury risk in senior compared to junior athletes. Effect sizes tended to be small except for FMS composite scores in rugby, ice hockey and American football athletes.
Protocol registration
CRD42018092916.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bahr R, Krosshaug T. Understanding injury mechanisms: a key component of preventing injuries in sport. Br J Sports Med. 2005;39(6):324–9.
Cook G, Burton L, Hoogenboom B, Voight M. Pre-participation screening: the use of fundamental movements as an assessment of function-part 1. N Am J Sports Phys Ther. 2006;1(2):62–72.
Cook G, Burton L, Hoogenboom B, Voight M. Functional movement screening: the use of fundamental movements as an assessment of function-part 2. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2014;9(4):549–63.
Kiesel K, Plisky P, Voight M. Can serious injury in professional football be predicted by a preseason Functional Movement Screen? N Am J Sports Phys Ther. 2007;2(3):147–58.
Chorba R, Chorba D, Bouillon L, Overmyer C, Landis J. Use of a functional movement screening tool to determine injury risk in female collegiate athletes. N Am J Sports Phys Ther. 2010;5(2):47–54.
Kiesel KB, Butler RJ, Plisky PJ. Prediction of injury by limited and asymmetrical fundamental movement patterns in American football players. J Sport Rehabil. 2014;23(2):88–94.
Bardenett SM, Micca JJ, DeNoyelles JT, Miller SD, Jenk DT, Brooks GS. Functional Movement Screen normative values and validity in high school athletes: can the FMS™ be used as a predictor of injury? Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2015;10(3):303–8.
Dorrel B, Long T, Shaffer S, Myer GD. The functional movement screen as a predictor of injury in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II athletes. J Athl Train. 2018;53(1):29–34.
Letafatkar A, Hadadnezhad M, Shojaedin S, Mohamadi E. Relationship between functional movement screening score and history of injury. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2014;9(1):21–7.
Tee JC, Klingbiel JF, Collins R, Lambert MI, Coopoo Y. Preseason Functional Movement Screen component tests predict severe contact injuries in professional rugby union players. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(11):3194–203.
Wiese BW, Boone JK, Mattacola CG, McKeon PO, Uhl TL. Determination of the Functional Movement Screen to predict musculoskeletal injury in intercollegiate athletics. Athl Train Sports Health Care. 2014;6(4):161–9.
Dorrel BS, Long T, Shaffer S, Myer GD. Evaluation of the Functional Movement Screen as an injury prediction tool among active adult populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Health. 2015;7(6):532–7.
Bonazza NA, Smuin D, Onks CA, Silvis ML, Dhawan A. Reliability, validity, and injury predictive value of the Functional Movement Screen: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Sports Med. 2016;45(3):725–32.
Moran RW, Schneiders AG, Mason J, Sullivan SJ. Do Functional Movement Screen (FMS) composite scores predict subsequent injury? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(23):1661–9.
Chalmers S, Fuller JT, Debenedictis TA, Townsley S, Lynagh M, Gleeson C, et al. Asymmetry during preseason Functional Movement Screen testing is associated with injury during a junior Australian football season. J Sci Med Sport. 2017;20(7):653–7.
Chalmers S, Debenedictis TA, Zacharia A, Townsley S, Gleeson C, Lynagh M, et al. Asymmetry during Functional Movement Screening and injury risk in junior football players: a replication study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2018;28(3):1281–7.
Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman D. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Int J Surg. 2010;8(5):336–41.
Orchard J, Hoskins W. For debate: consensus injury definitions in team sports should focus on missed playing time. Clin J Sport Med. 2007;17(3):192–6.
Moola S, Munn Z, Tufanaru C, Aromataris E, Sears K, Sfetcu R, et al. Chapter 7: Systematic reviews of etiology and risk. In: Aromataris E, Munn Z, editors. Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer’s Manual: the Joanna Briggs Institute. Adelaide: Joanna Briggs Institute; 2017.
McHugh ML. Interrater reliability: the kappa statistic. Biochem Med. 2012;22(3):276–82.
Hopkins WG. A scale of magnitudes for effect statistics. Sports Sci. 2002. http://www.sportsci.org/resource/stats/effectmag.html. Accessed 3 May 2018.
Hopkins WG. Statistics used in observational studies. Sports Injury Research. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2010.
Fritz JM, Wainner RS. Examining diagnostic tests: an evidence-based perspective. Phys Ther. 2001;81(9):1546–64.
Higgins JPT, Thompson SG, Deeks JJ, Altman DG. Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. Br Med J. 2003;327(7414):557–60.
Avery M, Wattie N, Holmes M, Dogra S. Seasonal changes in functional fitness and neurocognitive assessments in youth ice hockey players. J Strength Cond Res. 2018;32(11):3143–52.
Azzam MG, Throckmorton TW, Smith RA, Graham D, Scholler J, Azar FM. The Functional Movement Screen as a predictor of injury in professional basketball players. Curr Orthop Pract. 2015;26(6):619–23.
Bond CW, Dorman JC, Odney TO, Roggenbuck SJ, Young SW, Munce TA. Evaluation of the Functional Movement Screen and a novel basketball mobility test as an injury prediction tool for collegiate basketball players. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001944.
Bring BV, Chan M, Devine RC, Collins CL, Diehl J, Burkam B. Functional Movement Screening and injury rates in high school and collegiate runners: a retrospective analysis of 3 prospective observational studies. Clin J Sport Med. 2017;21:21.
Clay H, Mansell J, Tierney R. Association between rowing injuries and the Functional Movement Screen™ in female collegiate Division I rowers. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016;11(3):345–9.
Dossa K, Cashman G, Howitt S, West B, Murray N. Can injury in major junior hockey players be predicted by a pre-season Functional Movement Screen—a prospective cohort study. J Can Chiropractic Assoc. 2014;58(4):421–7.
Duke SR, Martin SE, Gaul CA. Preseason Functional Movement Screen predicts risk of time-loss injury in experienced male rugby union athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(10):2740–7.
Garrison M, Westrick R, Johnson MR, Benenson J. Association between the Functional Movement Screen and injury development in college athletes. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2015;10(1):21–8.
Hotta T, Nishiguchi S, Fukutani N, Tashiro Y, Adachi D, Morino S, et al. Functional Movement Screen for predicting running injuries in 18-to 24-year-old competitive male runners. J Strength Cond Res. 2015;29(10):2808–15.
Kolodziej M, Jaitner T. Single Functional Movement Screen items as main predictors of injury risk in amateur male soccer players. Ger J Exerc Sport Res. 2018;48(3):349–57.
Lee C-L, Hsu M-C, Chang W-D, Wang S-C, Chen C-Y, Chou P-H, et al. Functional Movement Screen comparison between the preparative period and competitive period in high school baseball players. J Exerc Sci Fit. 2018;16(2):68–72.
Martin C, Olivier B, Benjamin N. The Functional Movement Screen in the prediction of injury in adolescent cricket pace bowlers: an observational study. J Sport Rehabil. 2017;26(5):386–95.
Mokha M, Sprague PA, Gatens DR. Predicting musculoskeletal injury in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II athletes from asymmetries and individual-test versus composite Functional Movement Screen scores. J Athl Train. 2016;51(4):276–82.
Moran S, Booker H, Staines J, Williams S. Rates and risk factors of injury in CrossFit™: a prospective cohort study. J Sports Med Phys Fit. 2017;57(9):1147–53.
Philp F, Blana D, Chadwick EK, Stewart C, Stapleton C, Major K, et al. Study of the measurement and predictive validity of the Functional Movement Screen. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018;4(1):e000357.
Rusling C, Edwards KL, Bhattacharya A, Reed A, Irwin S, Boles A, et al. The functional movement screening tool does not predict injury in football. Prog Orthop Sci. 2015;1(2):41–6.
Schroeder J, Wellmann K, Stein D, Braumann KM. The Functional Movement Screen for injury prediction in male amateur football. Dtsch Z Sportmed. 2016;67(2):39–43.
Slodownik R, Ogonowska-Slodownik A, Morgulec-Adamowicz N. Functional Movement Screen™ and history of injury in assessment of potential risk of injury among team handball players. J Sports Med Phys Fit. 2018;58(9):1281–6.
Smith PD, Hanlon MP. Assessing the effectiveness of the Functional Movement Screen in predicting non-contact injury rates in soccer players. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3327–32.
Walbright PD, Walbright N, Ojha H, Davenport T. Validity of functional screening tests to predict lost-time lower quarter injury in a cohort of female collegiate athletes. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2017;12(6):948–59.
Warren M, Smith CA, Chimera NJ. Association of the Functional Movement Screen with injuries in Division I athletes. J Sport Rehabil. 2015;24(2):163–70.
Zalai D, Panics G, Bobak P, Csaki I, Hamar P. Quality of functional movement patterns and injury examination in elite-level male professional football players. Acta Physiol Hung. 2015;102(1):34–42.
Armstrong R, Greig M. Injury identification: the efficacy of the Functional Movement Screen in female and male rugby union players. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2018;13(4):605–17.
Hammes D, Aus der Funten K, Bizzini M, Meyer T. Injury prediction in veteran football players using the Functional Movement Screen™. J Sports Sci. 2016;34(14):1371–9.
Svensson K, Alricsson M, Olausson M, Werner S. Physical performance tests–a relationship of risk factors for muscle injuries in elite level male football players. J Exerc Rehabil. 2018;14(2):282–8.
Newton F, McCall A, Ryan D, Blackburne C, aus der Fünten K, Meyer T et al. Functional Movement Screen (FMS™) score does not predict injury in English Premier League youth academy football players. Sci Med Football. 2017;1(2):102–6.
McCall A, Fanchini M, Coutts AJ. Prediction: the modern-day sport-science and sports-medicine “quest for the holy grail”. Int J Sports Physiol Perf. 2017;12(5):704–6.
Ristolainen L, Heinonen A, Waller B, Kujala UM, Kettunen JA. Gender differences in sport injury risk and types of injuries: a retrospective twelve-month study on cross-country skiers, swimmers, long-distance runners and soccer players. J Sports Sci Med. 2009;8(3):443–51.
Ristolainen L, Heinonen A, Turunen H, Mannström H, Waller B, Kettunen JA et al. Type of sport is related to injury profile: A study on cross country skiers, swimmers, long‐distance runners and soccer players. A retrospective 12‐month study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2010;20(3):384–93.
Brooks JH, Fuller C, Kemp S, Reddin DB. Epidemiology of injuries in English professional rugby union: part 1 match injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2005;39(10):757–66.
Chalmers DJ, Samaranayaka A, Gulliver P, McNoe B. Risk factors for injury in rugby union football in New Zealand: a cohort study. Br J Sports Med. 2012;46(2):95–102.
Gabbett TJ, Jenkins DG, Abernethy B. Physical collisions and injury in professional rugby league match-play. J Sci Med Sport. 2011;14(3):210–5.
Fuller JT, Chalmers S, Debenedictis TA, Townsley S, Lynagh M, Gleeson C, et al. High prevalence of dysfunctional, asymmetrical, and painful movement in elite junior Australian Football players assessed using the Functional Movement Screen. J Sci Med Sport. 2017;20(2):134–8.
Portas MD, Parkin G, Roberts J, Batterham AM. Maturational effect on Functional Movement Screen™ score in adolescent soccer players. J Sci Med Sport. 2016;19(10):854–8.
Shimokochi Y, Shultz SJ. Mechanisms of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury. J Athl Train. 2008;43(4):396–408.
Hodgson L, Gissane C, Gabbett TJ, King DA. For debate: consensus injury definitions in team sports should focus on encompassing all injuries. Clin J Sport Med. 2007;17(3):188–91.
Cholewicki J, Silfies SP, Shah RA, Greene HS, Reeves NP, Alvi K, et al. Delayed trunk muscle reflex responses increase the risk of low back injuries. Spine. 2005;30(23):2614–20.
Burgess D, Naughton G, Norton K. Quantifying the gap between under 18 and senior AFL football: 2003 and 2009. Int J Sports Physiol Perf. 2012;7(1):53–8.
Romiti M, Finch CF, Gabbe B. A prospective cohort study of the incidence of injuries among junior Australian football players: evidence for an effect of playing-age level. Br J Sports Med. 2008;42(6):441–6.
O’Sullivan P. Diagnosis and classification of chronic low back pain disorders: maladaptive movement and motor control impairments as underlying mechanism. Man Ther. 2005;10(4):242–55.
Balyi I, Hamilton A. Long-term athlete development: trainability in childhood and adolescence. Victoria: National Coaching Institute British Columbia & Advanced Training and Performance Ltd; 2004.
Bonacci J, Chapman A, Blanch P, Vicenzino B. Neuromuscular adaptations to training, injury and passive interventions. Sports Med. 2009;39(11):903–21.
Ozmun JC, Mikesky AE, Surburg PR. Neuromuscular adaptations following prepubescent strength training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1994;26(4):510–4.
Ramsay JA, Blimkie C, Smith K, Garner S, Macdougall JD, Sale DG. Strength training effects in prepubescent boys. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1990;22(5):605–14.
Myer GD, Ford KR, Brent JL, Hewett TE. Differential neuromuscular training effects on ACL injury risk factors in” high-risk” versus” low-risk” athletes. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2007;8(1):39–45.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the conception and design of the review and completion of the search strategy. Joel T. Fuller was responsible for the meta-analysis. Emma Moore drafted the manuscript. All authors edited and revised the manuscript and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency.
Conflict of interest
Emma Moore, Joel T. Fuller, Steve Milanese and Samuel Chalmers declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Data availability statement
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current systematic review are available in the Online Supplementary Material.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moore, E., Chalmers, S., Milanese, S. et al. Factors Influencing the Relationship Between the Functional Movement Screen and Injury Risk in Sporting Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med 49, 1449–1463 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01126-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01126-5