Discriminative efficacy and comparative analysis of functional performance tests for lower-limb injuries in Chinese elite female basketball athletes: a pilot cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Elite female basketball players experience a high incidence of lower-limb injuries, yet evidence remains limited regarding the applicability of common functional performance tests in this population. This study aimed (1) to compare the performance of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Landing Error Scoring System (LESS), and Y-Balance Test (YBT) between athletes with and without knee or ankle/foot injuries, and (2) to examine the correlations among these three functional performance tests. Methods Eighteen elite female basketball players from the Chinese National Team completed three functional performance tests: FMS, LESS, and YBT. Differences in total and subtest scores between injured and non-injured athletes were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and the Mann–Whitney U test. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to examine relationships among the three tests. Results No significant differences were found in total FMS, LESS, or YBT scores between injured and non-injured athletes. However, a large effect size suggested a potential clinical trend between knee injuries and total FMS scores, and the FMS Deep Squat subtest significantly differentiated athletes with knee injuries. No significant correlations were observed among FMS, LESS, and YBT scores. Conclusion The FMS Deep Squat component may help identify knee-related functional limitations in elite female basketball players, while the three tests collectively provide complementary perspectives on movement quality assessment in applied settings. However, given the small sample and cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and warrant validation in larger, prospective studies.