Background: The Functional Movement Screen(TM) (FMS(TM)) is a screening instrument which evaluates selective fundamental movement patterns to determine potential injury risk. However, despite its global use, there are currently no normative values available for the FMS(TM).
Objectives: To establish normative values for the FMS(TM) in a population of active, healthy individuals. Secondary aims were to investigate whether performance differed between males and females, between those with and without a previous history of injury, and to establish real-time inter-rater reliability of the FMS(TM).
Methods: Two hundred and nine (108 females and 101 males) physically active individuals, aged between 18 and 40 years, with no recent (<6 weeks) history of musculoskeletal injury were recruited. All participants performed the FMS(TM) and were scored using the previously established standardized FMS(TM) criteria. A representative sub-group participant sample (28%) determined inter rater reliability.
Results: The mean composite FMS(TM) score was 15.7 with a 95% confidence interval between 15.4 and 15.9 out of a possible total of 21. There was no statistically significant difference in scores between females and males (t(207) = .979, p = .329), or those who reported a previous injury and those who did not (t(207) = .688, p= .492). Inter-rater reliability (ICC(3,1)) for the composite FMS(TM) score was .971, demonstrating excellent reliability. Inter-rater reliability (Kappa) for individual test components of the FMS(TM) demonstrated substantial to excellent agreement (0.70 - 1.0).
Discussion and conclusion: This cross-sectional study provides FMS(TM) reference values for young, active individuals, which will assist in the interpretation of individual scores when screening athletes for musculoskeletal injury and performance factors.
Keywords: Functional Movement ScreenTM; Pre-participation screening; athletic performance; injury risk.