Injury risk assessment using the functional movement screen in college physical education majors: a prospective cohort study.
Jie Shao, Xu Fan Bai, Lei Zhu
PMID 41970933WHAT IT FOUND
In college physical education majors, a Functional Movement Screen total score of 15 or below identified students at high risk of sports injury.
Six of seven individual movement tests predicted injury, but the trunk stability push-up did not.
Key findings
01Students with a total FMS score of 15 or below had a significantly higher risk of sports injury compared to those scoring above 15, with an adjusted odds ratio of 8.21.
02Scores on six of the seven FMS sub-tests (squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight-leg raise, and rotary stability) were independently associated with injury risk, while the trunk stability push-up was not.
03The FMS total score demonstrated good discriminatory ability for predicting injury, with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.8338.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Training load was not objectively quantified (e.g., via GPS or session-RPE), so residual confounding by exposure to training or competition may remain. Detailed information on the timing and severity of previous injuries was not systematically collected for all participants, which could influence both FMS scores and injury risk. The study was single-center and limited to first-year physical education majors in China, which may limit generalizability to other populations, ages, or sports contexts. The one-semester follow-up period is relatively short for assessing long-term injury risk.
Declared interests
The authors declared that financial support was not received for this work.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the FMS as a diagnostic tool or a guarantee of injury. The study shows an association, not causation. A score of 15 or below indicates increased risk, but many students with low scores did not get injured, and many with high scores did. Additionally, the trunk stability push-up was not predictive in this population, so clinicians should not assume all FMS sub-tests carry equal weight for injury risk in college PE majors.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →