Is there a relationship between in-season injury risk and Y balance or vertical jump in elite youth soccer players?

PURPOSE: Injuries are relatively common among elite youth soccer players, and time lost participating in sport due to injury can have detrimental psychological effects on players. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Y Balance Test (YBT), or vertical jump can identify those players at risk of suffering injury. METHODS: 41 female elite soccer players (age 12-17) performed YBT and vertical jump testing prior to the competitive season. Time-loss injuries during the following season were recorded. Injured and uninjured athletes were compared with respect to YBT composite scores (absolute and relative to leg length), asymmetry, and vertical jump. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the relationships between YBT, vertical jump, and injury risk. RESULTS: Twelve athletes (29%) suffered a time-loss injury during the season. Athletes who suffered an in-season injury did not differ from uninjured athletes with respect to age (14.9 +/- 1.6 v 15.3 +/- 1.4 years, respectively), years of experience (9.7 +/- 1.7 v 10.2 +/- 2.4 years, p=0.26), YBT composite scores (111 +/- 16 v 109 +/- 17 cm, p=0.99), YBT composite scores relative to leg length (1.29 +/- 0.2 v 1.27 +/- 0.26, p=0.85), the difference in centimeters between composite scores of each leg (7.9+/-8.4 v 4.6+/-3.8, p=0.09) or vertical jump (15.3±1.6 v 15.3±2.6 in, p=0.96). In-season injuries were not significantly associated with YBT composite scores (OR= 0.99 [95% CI = .95-1.04] ,p= 0.80), relative YBT composite scores (1.0 [.97-1.03], p=0.98) or vertical jump scores (0.98 [.72-1.33], p=.91). Although not reaching statistical significance, higher asymmetry in composite scores showed some evidence of an increased risk of subsequent injury (1.2 [0.97-1.42], p=0.10). CONCLUSIONS: The composite YBT score and vertical jump did not predict in-season injury incidence in this sample of elite female adolescent soccer players. Higher YBT asymmetry may be associated with an increased risk of in-season injury, although this study may have been limited by sample size to identify a statistically significant difference. SIGNIFICANCE: Although the YBT is widely used as an injury risk screening tool, our findings suggest that it may not be a strong predictor of subsequent time-loss injuries in elite female adolescent soccer players. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: We are grateful to the adolescent soccer players who participated in the study. © FASEB.