Elevated Pre-Season BESS Scores Not-Predictive of Development of Lower Extremity Injuries in Division 1 Football Players and a Prophylactic Ankle Program did not Reduce Risk - Abstract
BESS scores have been shown to be reflective of balance deficits that can cause LE injury or concussions. There is no current literature that addresses whether these scores are
predictive of injury.
Objective: To find if a preseason BESS scores of 15 or greater is predictive of the development of LE injury or concussion and whether a prophylactic ankle rehabilitation program lowers this risk.
Design: Prospective Cohort Study
Setting: Sport SettingPatients or Other Participants: The North Carolina Central University football team from 2014 – 2016, and 2018.
Interventions: A prophylactic ankle rehabilitation HEP was performed twice daily during the 2016 and 2018 seasons.Main Outcome Measures: Athlete preseason BESS scores and injury data from the season was analyzed using a multiple logistic regression. Those athletes with a BESS score
of x?15 underwent prophylactic ankle rehabilitation and the injury results were compared to see if there was a reduction in risk.
Results: Elevated Bess scores (x?15) proved to be non-predictive of LE Injury or concussion in both the control seasons (p = .55, p = .81) or the intervention seasons (p = .90, p= .69), nor did the ankle rehabilitation reduce the injury risk (p = .52, p = .71). A previous concussion did increase the risk of LE injury in the control seasons (p = .03).
Conclusion: An athlete’s BESS score proved to be non-predictive of LE injury or concussion and the prophylactic ankle program did not reduce the risk of either. Suffering a previous concussion did show an increase in risk to subsequent LE injury.