Lower-Quarter Y-Balance Test Differs by Age: Younger Athletes May Not Be Generalized to High School-Aged Counterparts
# Background Given rising youth sport participation, 8 to 10-year-olds increasingly display comparable lower-extremity injury incidence to 11 to 17-year-olds and require effective return to sport criteria. One such criterion which quantifies dynamic stability is the Y-Balance Test (YBT), though it...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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North American Sports Medicine Institute
2024-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.120898 |
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| _version_ | 1825196965214814208 |
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| author | James J McGinley Ben Randoing Laura Saleem Caroline Podvin Henry B Ellis Philip L Wilson Sophia Ulman |
| author_facet | James J McGinley Ben Randoing Laura Saleem Caroline Podvin Henry B Ellis Philip L Wilson Sophia Ulman |
| author_sort | James J McGinley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | # Background
Given rising youth sport participation, 8 to 10-year-olds increasingly display comparable lower-extremity injury incidence to 11 to 17-year-olds and require effective return to sport criteria. One such criterion which quantifies dynamic stability is the Y-Balance Test (YBT), though it has not been validated in children under age 11.
# Hypothesis/Purpose
The purpose of this study was to examine the performance of 8 to 10-year-old patients on the YBT after lower-extremity injury and determine how these results compare to larger samples of age-grouped athletes within the validated 11 to 17-year-old range. It was hypothesized that 8 to 10-year-olds would display different normalized YBT distances compared to 11 to 17-year-olds.
# Study Design
Cross-sectional Study.
# Methods
Patients (N=1093) aged 8 to 17 who presented to a pediatric sports medicine practice with a lower-extremity injury and completed the YBT between December 2015-May 2021 were included. Anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral YBT scores were collected at return-to-sport for affected and unaffected limbs. Scores were normalized to limb length, and composite scores were created. Between-limb differences were calculated in groups of ages 8-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-17. Groups were also evaluated for differences by sex.
# Results
A rise in performance was observed in unaffected limb anterior reach from ages 8 to 10 years to 11 to 12 years followed by a subsequent significant decrease at older ages (p<0.001). Affected limb anterior reach differed between the youngest group and two oldest groups (p=0.004). Anterior and composite difference were significantly different between the oldest three groups (p=0.014 anterior; p=0.024 composite). No differences were observed between sexes in 8 to 10-year-olds, though 11 to 12-year-old females reached further during all eight distances. In the older three groups, males generally displayed greater between-limb differences.
# Conclusion
YBT scores, specifically anterior reach, demonstrated inconsistency by age and sex across a large adolescent cohort. Existing return-to-sport standards should not be used with younger athletes, and individual validation is required.
# Level of Evidence
Level III |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cd5eba9b6a2b4931a02df9089bdc21db |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2159-2896 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | North American Sports Medicine Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| spelling | doaj-art-cd5eba9b6a2b4931a02df9089bdc21db2025-02-11T20:30:11ZengNorth American Sports Medicine InstituteInternational Journal of Sports Physical Therapy2159-28962024-08-01198Lower-Quarter Y-Balance Test Differs by Age: Younger Athletes May Not Be Generalized to High School-Aged CounterpartsJames J McGinleyBen RandoingLaura SaleemCaroline PodvinHenry B EllisPhilip L WilsonSophia Ulman# Background Given rising youth sport participation, 8 to 10-year-olds increasingly display comparable lower-extremity injury incidence to 11 to 17-year-olds and require effective return to sport criteria. One such criterion which quantifies dynamic stability is the Y-Balance Test (YBT), though it has not been validated in children under age 11. # Hypothesis/Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the performance of 8 to 10-year-old patients on the YBT after lower-extremity injury and determine how these results compare to larger samples of age-grouped athletes within the validated 11 to 17-year-old range. It was hypothesized that 8 to 10-year-olds would display different normalized YBT distances compared to 11 to 17-year-olds. # Study Design Cross-sectional Study. # Methods Patients (N=1093) aged 8 to 17 who presented to a pediatric sports medicine practice with a lower-extremity injury and completed the YBT between December 2015-May 2021 were included. Anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral YBT scores were collected at return-to-sport for affected and unaffected limbs. Scores were normalized to limb length, and composite scores were created. Between-limb differences were calculated in groups of ages 8-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-17. Groups were also evaluated for differences by sex. # Results A rise in performance was observed in unaffected limb anterior reach from ages 8 to 10 years to 11 to 12 years followed by a subsequent significant decrease at older ages (p<0.001). Affected limb anterior reach differed between the youngest group and two oldest groups (p=0.004). Anterior and composite difference were significantly different between the oldest three groups (p=0.014 anterior; p=0.024 composite). No differences were observed between sexes in 8 to 10-year-olds, though 11 to 12-year-old females reached further during all eight distances. In the older three groups, males generally displayed greater between-limb differences. # Conclusion YBT scores, specifically anterior reach, demonstrated inconsistency by age and sex across a large adolescent cohort. Existing return-to-sport standards should not be used with younger athletes, and individual validation is required. # Level of Evidence Level IIIhttps://doi.org/10.26603/001c.120898 |
| spellingShingle | James J McGinley Ben Randoing Laura Saleem Caroline Podvin Henry B Ellis Philip L Wilson Sophia Ulman Lower-Quarter Y-Balance Test Differs by Age: Younger Athletes May Not Be Generalized to High School-Aged Counterparts International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| title | Lower-Quarter Y-Balance Test Differs by Age: Younger Athletes May Not Be Generalized to High School-Aged Counterparts |
| title_full | Lower-Quarter Y-Balance Test Differs by Age: Younger Athletes May Not Be Generalized to High School-Aged Counterparts |
| title_fullStr | Lower-Quarter Y-Balance Test Differs by Age: Younger Athletes May Not Be Generalized to High School-Aged Counterparts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lower-Quarter Y-Balance Test Differs by Age: Younger Athletes May Not Be Generalized to High School-Aged Counterparts |
| title_short | Lower-Quarter Y-Balance Test Differs by Age: Younger Athletes May Not Be Generalized to High School-Aged Counterparts |
| title_sort | lower quarter y balance test differs by age younger athletes may not be generalized to high school aged counterparts |
| url | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.120898 |
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