Exploring the Discriminant Validity of the Modified Arm Care Screen (MACS), Designed for Overhead Athletes, in Detecting Musculoskeletal Risk Factors in the General Population

Background: Shoulder pain is the third most common musculoskeletal issue in primary care, affecting up to 50% of patients six months post-consultation, leading to significant functional impairments and societal costs, especially due to sick leave. Shoulder injuries are particularly prevalent among ‘...

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Main Authors: Eleftherios Paraskevopoulos, Styliani Pentheroudaki, Maria Papandreou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Biomechanics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7078/4/4/46
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author Eleftherios Paraskevopoulos
Styliani Pentheroudaki
Maria Papandreou
author_facet Eleftherios Paraskevopoulos
Styliani Pentheroudaki
Maria Papandreou
author_sort Eleftherios Paraskevopoulos
collection DOAJ
description Background: Shoulder pain is the third most common musculoskeletal issue in primary care, affecting up to 50% of patients six months post-consultation, leading to significant functional impairments and societal costs, especially due to sick leave. Shoulder injuries are particularly prevalent among ‘overhead athletes’ in sports like swimming, volleyball, and handball, with high injury rates reported annually. Screening tools like the Arm Care Screen (ACS) have been used to effectively identify athletes at risk of shoulder injuries. However, their applicability to the general population is less understood. This study aimed to assess the discriminant validity of a modified ACS (MACS) in detecting musculoskeletal risk factors among non-athletes. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 30 asymptomatic subjects over 18, excluding those with a history of shoulder injuries or surgeries. The MACS, comprising four tests, was administered, and its diagnostic performance was evaluated through sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios. Results: The results indicated low sensitivity (0–47.62%) and variable specificity (55.56–100%), suggesting that the MACS may not effectively identify risk factors in the general population. Positive and negative predictive values were inconsistent (ranging from 0 to 100), as well as positive and negative likelihood ratios (ranging from 0 to 3.47), highlighting the need for non-athlete-specific screening tools. Conclusion: While the MACS shows promise in athletes, its application in the general population requires further refinement. This study underscores the necessity for tailored screening methods to enhance the early detection and prevention of musculoskeletal issues in diverse populations.
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spelling doaj-art-e4a7ac4de92740feb8d8b630ce3e78282025-08-20T02:01:04ZengMDPI AGBiomechanics2673-70782024-10-014464265210.3390/biomechanics4040046Exploring the Discriminant Validity of the Modified Arm Care Screen (MACS), Designed for Overhead Athletes, in Detecting Musculoskeletal Risk Factors in the General PopulationEleftherios Paraskevopoulos0Styliani Pentheroudaki1Maria Papandreou2Laboratory of Advanced Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy, University of West Attica, 12243 Egaleo, GreeceLaboratory of Advanced Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy, University of West Attica, 12243 Egaleo, GreeceLaboratory of Advanced Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy, University of West Attica, 12243 Egaleo, GreeceBackground: Shoulder pain is the third most common musculoskeletal issue in primary care, affecting up to 50% of patients six months post-consultation, leading to significant functional impairments and societal costs, especially due to sick leave. Shoulder injuries are particularly prevalent among ‘overhead athletes’ in sports like swimming, volleyball, and handball, with high injury rates reported annually. Screening tools like the Arm Care Screen (ACS) have been used to effectively identify athletes at risk of shoulder injuries. However, their applicability to the general population is less understood. This study aimed to assess the discriminant validity of a modified ACS (MACS) in detecting musculoskeletal risk factors among non-athletes. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 30 asymptomatic subjects over 18, excluding those with a history of shoulder injuries or surgeries. The MACS, comprising four tests, was administered, and its diagnostic performance was evaluated through sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios. Results: The results indicated low sensitivity (0–47.62%) and variable specificity (55.56–100%), suggesting that the MACS may not effectively identify risk factors in the general population. Positive and negative predictive values were inconsistent (ranging from 0 to 100), as well as positive and negative likelihood ratios (ranging from 0 to 3.47), highlighting the need for non-athlete-specific screening tools. Conclusion: While the MACS shows promise in athletes, its application in the general population requires further refinement. This study underscores the necessity for tailored screening methods to enhance the early detection and prevention of musculoskeletal issues in diverse populations.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7078/4/4/46modified arm care screenshoulderathletesrisk of injury
spellingShingle Eleftherios Paraskevopoulos
Styliani Pentheroudaki
Maria Papandreou
Exploring the Discriminant Validity of the Modified Arm Care Screen (MACS), Designed for Overhead Athletes, in Detecting Musculoskeletal Risk Factors in the General Population
Biomechanics
modified arm care screen
shoulder
athletes
risk of injury
title Exploring the Discriminant Validity of the Modified Arm Care Screen (MACS), Designed for Overhead Athletes, in Detecting Musculoskeletal Risk Factors in the General Population
title_full Exploring the Discriminant Validity of the Modified Arm Care Screen (MACS), Designed for Overhead Athletes, in Detecting Musculoskeletal Risk Factors in the General Population
title_fullStr Exploring the Discriminant Validity of the Modified Arm Care Screen (MACS), Designed for Overhead Athletes, in Detecting Musculoskeletal Risk Factors in the General Population
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the Discriminant Validity of the Modified Arm Care Screen (MACS), Designed for Overhead Athletes, in Detecting Musculoskeletal Risk Factors in the General Population
title_short Exploring the Discriminant Validity of the Modified Arm Care Screen (MACS), Designed for Overhead Athletes, in Detecting Musculoskeletal Risk Factors in the General Population
title_sort exploring the discriminant validity of the modified arm care screen macs designed for overhead athletes in detecting musculoskeletal risk factors in the general population
topic modified arm care screen
shoulder
athletes
risk of injury
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7078/4/4/46
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AT mariapapandreou exploringthediscriminantvalidityofthemodifiedarmcarescreenmacsdesignedforoverheadathletesindetectingmusculoskeletalriskfactorsinthegeneralpopulation