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Context: The Y-Balance Test (YBT) and Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) are commonly used to detect deficits in dynamic postural control. There is a lack of literature on the differences in reach distances and efficiency of the tests. Objective: To compare the reach distances of the YBT and SEBT. An additional aim was to compare the time necessary to administer the 2 tests and utilize a discrete event simulation to determine the number of participants who could be screened within different scenarios. Design: Cross-sectional. Laboratory Patients: Twenty-four physically active individuals between the ages of 18–35 years volunteered to participate in this study (M/F: 11/13; age 22.78 [2.63] y, height 68.22 [4.32] cm, mass 173.27 [10.96] kg). Intervention: The participants reported to the laboratory on one occasion and performed the YBT and SEBT. The anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral reach distances were recorded for each test. In addition, the time to administer each test was recorded in seconds. Main Outcome Measures: The average reach distances and time for each test were used for analysis. Paired t tests were utilized to compare the reach distances and time to administer the 2 tests. A discrete event simulation was used to determine how many participants could be screened using each test. Results: The anterior reach for the SEBT (64.52% [6.07%]) was significantly greater than the YBT (61.66% [6.37%]; P P Conclusion: Scores on the anterior reach of the SEBT are larger when compared with the YBT. The discrete event simulation can successfully be used to determine how many participants could be screened with a certain amount of resources given the use of a specific test.

Context: The Y-Balance Test (YBT) is a dynamic balance assessment used as a preseason musculoskeletal screen to determine injury risk. While the YBT has demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability, it is unknown if YBT performance changes following participation in a competitive athletic season. Objective: Determine if a competitive athletic season affects YBT performance in field hockey players. Design: Pretest-posttest. Setting: Laboratory. Participants: 20 NCAA Division I women's field hockey players (age = 19.55 ± 1.30 y; height = 165.10 ± 5.277 cm; mass = 62.62 ± 4.64 kg) from a single team volunteered. Participants had to be free from injury throughout the entire study and participate in all athletic activities. Interventions: Participants completed data collection sessions prior to (preseason) and following the athletic season (postseason). Between data collections, participants competed in the fall competitive field hockey season, which was ~3 months in duration. During data collection, participants completed the YBT bilaterally. Main Outcome Measures: The independent variable was time (preseason, postseason) and the dependent variables were normalized reach distances (anterior, posteromedial, posterolateral, composite) and between-limb symmetry for each reach direction. Differences between preseason and postseason were examined using paired t tests (P ≤ .05) as well as Bland-Altman limits of agreement. Results: 4 players sustained a lower extremity injury during the season and were excluded from analysis. There were no significant differences between preseason and postseason reach distances for any reach directions on either limb (P ≥ .31) or in the between-limb symmetries (P ≥ .52). The limits of agreement analyses determined there was a low mean bias across measurements (≤1.67%); however, the 95% confidence intervals indicated there was high variability within the posterior reach directions over time (±4.75 to ± 14.83%). Conclusion: No changes in YBT performance were identified following a competitive field hockey season in Division I female athletes. However, the variability within the posterior reach directions over time may contribute to the limited use of these directions for injury risk stratification.

WOS: 000370115200005, PubMed ID: 26355541, Context: Both female athletes' participation in soccer and associated injuries have greatly increased in recent years. One issue is the 2-9 times greater incidence of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes relative to male athletes in comparable sports. Several factors such as limb dominance and sporting history have been proposed to play a role in ACL incidence rates between male and female athletes. However, evidence about the effects of these factors and how they interact with sex is mixed, and thus no consensus exists. Objective: To quantify the effects of sports participation, limb dominance, and sex on dynamic postural control and knee-joint proprioception. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: 19 male soccer players, 17 female soccer players, 19 sedentary men, and 18 sedentary women. Intervention: Joint-position sense was tested using reproduction of passive positioning on a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer (30 degrees, 45 degrees, and 60 degrees from 90 degrees of knee flexion). Three Star Excursion Balance Test directions were used to assess dynamic postural control. Main Outcome Measure: Normalized reach distance (% of leg length) in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions on each leg quantified dynamic postural control. Average absolute error and constant error for both limbs quantified joint-position sense. Results: Posteromedial reach distance was significantly better in soccer players than sedentary individuals (P=.006). Anterior reach distance was significantly better (P=.04) in sedentary individuals than soccer players. No limb-dominance or sex differences were identified for dynamic postural control, and no differences in absolute-or constant-error scores were identified. Conclusion: Sporting history has a direction-specific impact on dynamic postural control. Sporting history, sex, and limb dominance do not influence knee-joint proprioception when tested in an open kinetic chain using passive repositioning.

Context:The effects of custom-molded foot orthotics on neuromuscular processes are not clearly understood.Objective:To examine these effects on postural control in subjects with different foot types.Design:Between-groups, repeated-measures design.Setting:Athletic training laboratory.Subjects:30 healthy subjects assigned to groups by foot type: planus (n = 11), rectus (n = 12), or cavus (n = 7).Interventions:Custom-fit semirigid orthotics.Main Outcome Measures:Static postural control was measured on a force plate. Dynamic postural control was measured using the Star Excursion Balance Test. Both measurements were assessed with and without orthotics at baseline and 2 weeks later.Results:For static postural control, a significant condition-by-group interaction was found. Subjects with cavus feet had a decreased center-of-pressure velocity while wearing orthotics. For dynamic postural control, a significant condition-by-direction-by-group interaction was found. Subjects with cavus feet had increased reach distances in 3 of 8 directions while wearing orthotics.Conclusions:Custom orthotics were associated with some improvements in static and dynamic postural control in subjects with cavus feet.

Context:Deficits in static postural control related to fatigue have been investigated previously, but there is little evidence to link fatigue to performance measures of dynamic postural control.Objective:To investigate the effects of fatigue and gender on performance measures of the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT).Design:Mixed-model design.Setting:Research laboratory.Participants:16 healthy young adults.Intervention:Subjects performed the SEBT before and after 4 different fatiguing conditions.Main Outcome Measures:The normalized reach distances and sagittal-plane kinematics of the knee and hip were recorded.Results:Fatigue produced deficits in normalized reach distances and decreased knee flexion in all 3 reaching directions. Overall, women were able to reach farther than men while simultaneously demonstrating a greater amount of knee flexion.Conclusions:Gender differences were observed during performance of the SEBT, with women demonstrating greater reach distances and knee flexion, and fatigue amplified these differences.