Can Functional Movement Assessment Predict Football Head Impact Biomechanics?

PURPOSEThe purposes of this study was to determine functional movement assessments’ ability to predict head impact biomechanics in college football players and to determine whether head impact biomechanics could explain preseason to postseason changes in functional movement performance. METHODSParti...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medicine and science in sports and exercise 2018-06, Vol.50 (6), p.1233-1240
Main Authors: FORD, JULIA M, CAMPBELL, KODY R, FORD, CASSIE B, BOYD, KENNETH E, PADUA, DARIN A, MIHALIK, JASON P
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:PURPOSEThe purposes of this study was to determine functional movement assessments’ ability to predict head impact biomechanics in college football players and to determine whether head impact biomechanics could explain preseason to postseason changes in functional movement performance. METHODSParticipants (N = 44; mass, 109.0 ± 20.8 kg; age, 20.0 ± 1.3 yr) underwent two preseason and postseason functional movement assessment screenings1) Fusionetics Movement Efficiency Test and 2) Landing Error Scoring System (LESS). Fusionetics is scored 0 to 100, and participants were categorized into the following movement quality groups as previously publishedgood (≥75), moderate (50–75), and poor (7 errors). The Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) System measured head impact frequency and magnitude (linear acceleration and rotational acceleration). An encoder with six single-axis accelerometers was inserted between the padding of a commercially available Riddell football helmet. We used random intercepts general linear-mixed models to analyze our data. RESULTSThere were no effects of preseason movement assessment group on the two Head Impact Telemetry System impact outcomeslinear acceleration and rotational acceleration. Head impact frequency did not significantly predict preseason to postseason score changes obtained from the Fusionetics (F1,36 = 0.22, P = 0.643, R = 0.006) or the LESS (F1,36 < 0.01, P = 0.988, R < 0.001) assessments. CONCLUSIONSPrevious research has demonstrated an association between concussion and musculoskeletal injury, as well as functional movement assessment performance and musculoskeletal injury. The functional movement assessments chosen may not be sensitive enough to detect neurological and neuromuscular differences within the sample and subtle changes after sustaining head impacts.
ISSN:0195-9131
1530-0315
DOI:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001538