Functional movement screen scores and injury prevalence among collegiate basketball players: a cross-sectional analysis

Abstract Background The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is widely used to evaluate movement quality and injury risk in athletes, yet evidence regarding its applicability in non-Western collegiate basketball contexts remains limited. This study examined the association between FMS scores and 12-month injury prevalence among Chinese collegiate basketball players and determined a population-specific optimal cutoff. Methods Fifty-nine varsity basketball players (38 males, 21 females; mean age 20.7 ± 1.4 years) from three Chinese universities completed the seven-test FMS battery and a standardized retrospective injury questionnaire. Group comparisons, ROC curve analysis, and binary logistic regression were performed. Results The 12-month injury prevalence was 45.8% (27/59). The injured group obtained significantly lower FMS composite scores than the non-injured group (14.07 ± 2.41 vs. 15.44 ± 2.04; p = .022, d = 0.62). Athletes scoring ≤ 14 demonstrated approximately three times greater odds of injury (OR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.08–9.71). ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.65, with the Youden Index identifying ≤ 15 as the optimal cutoff (sensitivity = 0.741, specificity = 0.531). The composite score remained independently associated with injury after adjustment for sex, BMI, and training years (OR = 0.76, p = .019), with deep squat and hurdle step emerging as the only individual items independently linked to injury. Conclusions The FMS composite score is significantly associated with injury prevalence in Chinese collegiate basketball players, with a population-specific cutoff of ≤ 15 offering improved sensitivity over the conventional ≤ 14 threshold. The FMS may serve as a useful screening component when combined with complementary assessment tools.