Predicting “Failing” Functional Movement Screen™ Scores Utilizing the Y-Balance Test Among Active Firefighters and Candidates David J. Cornell1, Kyle T. Ebersole1, Stacy L. Gnacinski1, Steve B. Gayhart 1, Peter J. Sanger1, & Jason Mims2. 1 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI; 2City of Milwaukee Fire Department, Milwaukee, WI Musculoskeletal injury is the leading cause of injury and lost work time among firefighters. The Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS™) and Y-Balance Test (YBT) have previously been used to predict future injury risk among athletic and active populations. A greater understanding of the interrelated utility of these screening tools may be beneficial in identifying firefighters at risk for musculoskeletal injury. PURPOSE: To examine if YBT performance can predict a “failing” FMS™ score among active firefighters and candidates. METHODS: 102 (93 males, 9 females) active firefighters (n=17) and candidates enrolled in the Recruit (n=48) or Cadet (n=37) training classes in the Milwaukee or Madison, WI Fire Departments participated in this study (26.8 ±7.6 yrs; 178.7 ±7.3 cm; 86.0 ±13.0 kg). All participants completed the FMS™ and YBT. Each reach distance of the YBT was normalized to leg length. The right (R) vs. left (L) difference for the anterior (ANT) reach was calculated. The YBT score for each limb was formed by summing the reach distances in each direction and dividing by 3. The scores for R and L limbs were then averaged to create the composite (COMP) score. A total FMS™ score of ≤14 was used to identify a failing FMS™ (n=91) score. A receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted using SPSS 20 software to determine if R vs. L ANT reach difference and COMP score on the YBT could predict a failing FMS™ score. An alpha level of p<0.05 determined statistical significance. RESULTS: The ROC curve did not yield a significant combination of sensitivity and specificity in predicting a failing FMS™ score based off of R vs. L ANT reach difference (a=.455, p=.624). However, the ROC curve did yield a significant combination of sensitivity and specificity in predicting a failing FMS™ score utilizing the COMP score (a=.713, p=.021). A COMP score cut-off value of 104.4% optimized sensitivity (91.2%) and specificity (45.5%). CONCLUSIONS: COMP score on the YBT, but not limb reach difference, adequately predicts a failing FMS™ score among active firefighters and candidates. This suggests that the limb reach asymmetry during a dynamic movement does not influence FMS™ score outcomes. Future research should examine the interrelated utility of these assessments associated with musculoskeletal injury prediction during a prospective study. CHARACTER COUNT: 1995