Utility of the anterior reach Y-BALANCE test as an injury risk screening tool in elite male youth soccer players

Objectives: Examine growth and maturation trends in dynamic balance using the anterior reach Y-Balance test, and its utility as an injury risk screening tool. Design: Cross sectional and prospective cohort. Setting: Elite male youth soccer players. Participants: 346 players grouped as pre, circa or post peak height velocity (PHV). Main outcome measures: Pre-season anterior reach absolute and relative Y-Balance test scores and seasonal prospective lower extremity injury monitoring. Results: Absolute reach distances were greatest post-PHV (p < 0.05). Relative to leg length, pre-PHV achieved the highest scores and increased between-limb differences. Significant associations between injury and anterior reach scores were present in pre (OR: 0.94, CI: 0.91–0.98, p < 0.05) and circa-PHV (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.05–1.10, p < 0.05). Increased age (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.04–2.13, p < 0.05) and height (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.99–1.13, p = 0.82) were risk factors post-PHV. No differences in injury occurrence were shown between players with absolute reach difference >4 cm in any group. Conclusions: Anterior reach scores increased injury risk, but associations were small and inconsistent. The Y-Balance should be used with caution as a screening tool in this cohort.