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Association between Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization Functional Test and the Incidence of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Football Players

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Corrective Exercises and Sport Injuries, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

3 Department of Sport Rehabilitation and Health, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

10.30476/smsj.2026.107326.1648

Abstract

Introduction: Non-contact injuries are a common issue in football, and identifying potential risk factors can aid in designing preventive interventions. This study aimed to investigate the association between the Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization Functional (FDNS) Test and the incidence of non-contact musculoskeletal injuries in football players.
Methods: This prospective correlational study involved 100 male football players aged 18-25 years who were active in the North Khorasan provincial league in 2023. All participants performed the FDNS test, which consisted of 11 subtests. Non-contact sports injuries were recorded weekly throughout the season by the researcher using a modified version of the Fuller et al., injury questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient at a significance level of P<0.05 with SPSS software, version 27.
Results: A total of 45 non-contact injuries were reported during the season (prevalence rate=45%; injury incidence=4.1 injuries per 1000 hours). The most common injury sites were the ankle, groin, and hamstring. There was a statistically significant but weak negative correlation between the overall FDNS test score and non-contact injuries (r=-0.304, P=0.002). Among the subtests, hip flexion (r=-0.230, P=0.043) and trunk extension (r=-0.244, P=0.014) showed weak but significant correlations with injury occurrence.
Conclusion: The observed association between the FDNS test scores and non-contact injuries in this study was weak. However, this test might have the potential to be used as a component of initial injury screening. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to more comprehensively evaluate the predictive validity of this test

Keywords

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Sadra Medical Journal
Volume 14, Issue 2
June 2026
Pages 434-448
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