Complete Journal Article

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University Head Athletic Trainer Dustin Gatens has received national recognition again as his recent study regarding predicting musculoskeletal injury in student-athletes was published in the April 2016 edition of the Journal of Athletic Training.
 
This is the fourth journal article published for Gatens and his research colleagues Monique Mokha, Ph.D., ATC, CSCS Program Director, Associate Professor, Exercise and Sport Science, and Peter Sprague, PT, DPT, OCS, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy.
 
"The initial basis for this research was to improve student-athlete clinical outcomes," said Gatens. "Secondarily, the goal was to help fulfill the research portion of the NSU Vision 2020 as well as contribute to the overall scientific body of knowledge within the athletic training field."
 
A total of 84 Division II student-athletes from NSU's sports of rowing, volleyball and soccer were administered the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) test during preseason participation examinations. Data was tracked for the duration of the 2012-13 academic year by each team's certified athletic trainer. The objective of the study was to determine if an asymmetry or score of 1 on an individual FMS would be a better predictor of musculoskeletal injury (MSI) in the long-term than the composite score. A MSI is defined as physical damage to the body secondary to athletic activity or an event in which the athlete sought medical care, and resulted in modified training or required protective treatment.
 
Athletic trainers have historically used the FMS test to get a baseline assessment of a student-athletes fundamental movement. The FMS test identifies limitations or asymmetries in seven fundamental movement patterns that are key to functional movement quality in individuals with no current pain complaint or known MSI. Five of the seven tests have a left/right component, which identifies if one side performs the movement more efficiently or effectively (asymmetry).
 
Traditionally, a lot of weight has been put on an individual's composite FMS score. Test scores can range from 0-21, with the ability to score a 0-3 on each of the seven tests with 0 meaning the movement cannot be performed and 3 being the movement is performed perfectly with no pain or discomfort. For those five tests that are done on both the left and right, a score is given for each side with the lower score being the one used. Historically, it was perceived that individuals with overall FMS scores of 14 or less were more likely to sustain an MSI than those with higher scores.
 
Through this study, Gatens and his colleagues found that student-athletes with FMS scores of 14 or less were not more likely to sustain an injury than those with higher scores. However, student-athletes exhibiting an asymmetry or individual score of 1 were 2.73 times more likely to sustain an injury than those without. The study ultimately concluded that asymmetry or a low FMS individual test score was a better predictor of MSI than the composite FMS score.
 
"Initially, the FMS was not intended as a preventative tool, but we found a lot of value in it," said Gatens. "Ongoing research is one of the pillars of what we do in this field, and this study gives us a new approach to preventive medicine."
 
"Through work like this, we have been developing a screening process that allows the SMIT to have an understanding of individuals who may be at higher risk for injury," said Sprague. "The screening process allows us to identify modifiable risk factors that predispose a student-athlete to a higher risk of injury.   Identifying risk factors that can be changed will result in a healthier student-athlete and, subsequently, better performance."
 
NSU Athletics' Sports Medicine department has a continued focus on research and development. Gatens has spearheaded many of these efforts and has encouraged continued research and education among athletic trainers with the goal of improving the student-athlete's performance and collegiate experience. While the department works with experienced certified athletic trainers, it is also heavily student-centered. Gatens and his team help develop undergraduate exercise science and athletic training majors into successful and knowledgeable athletic trainers of the future.
 
"The NSU sports medicine interdisciplinary team is so far ahead of the game already," said Mokha. "They perform the functional movement screen, as well as other assessments, on the student-athletes during pre-participation examinations. Now, with these study results, they have more specific information to guide their injury prevention programs."
 
Gatens and the research team are already working on their next study focusing on electromyography (EMG), which is a diagnostic procedure to assess the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. The goal is to determine if certain rehab exercises will recruit the intended target muscles.