Functional Movement Screens And Selected Measures Of Muscle Performance And Physical Function In Former American Style Football (ASF) Players In The Football Players Health Study (FPHS) At Harvard University

PURPOSE: To characterize global movement dysfunction in former ASF players using the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA). We also explored whether specific SFMA subdomains were associated with measures of muscle performance and physical function. METHODS: We performed a preliminary analysis of 102 former ASF players (mean age: 43.2 ± 7.7 yrs; race: Black = 52%, white = 48%; number of professional seasons:5.6 ± 3.4 yrs; linemen: 41.2%, non-linemen: 58.8%) who completed the in-person assessment portion of the FPHS at Harvard. The SFMA consists of 17 functional movements that can be divided into neck, upper extremity, trunk, balance, and deep squat movements. Scores were based on visual assessment for function and pain and were further dichotomized into “good” and “poor” groups (good = functional non-painful, poor = dysfunctional painful, dysfunctional non-painful, and functional painful). Muscle performance and physical function measures included upper and lower extremity strength and Y-balance assessment. RESULTS: Overall, 42% of participants exhibited good performance on the SFMA while 58% had poor performance (7%: dysfunctional painful; 11%: dysfunctional non-painful; 40%: functional painful). Participants with better performance on upper extremity trunk rotation and lower extremity deep squat SFMA subdomains had significantly greater Y-balance scores (p < 0.02). Conversely, poorer deep squat scores were associated with significantly greater leg muscle strength (p < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a high proportion of former ASF players have residual functional movement deficits and pain. These deficits are related to reduced physical function but, paradoxically, appear to be associated with greater lower extremity maximal strength. Additional analyses are indicated to verify these study findings.