star excursion balance test average

Star Excursion Balance Test

The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a dynamic test that requires strength, flexibility, and proprioception. It is a measure of dynamic balance that provides a significant challenge to athletes and physically active individuals.

The test can be used to assess physical performance, but can also be used to screen deficits in dynamic postural control due to musculoskeletal injuries (e.g. chronic ankle instability), to identify athletes at greater risk for lower extremity injury, as well as during the rehabilitation of orthopedic injuries in healthy active adults (1)

Research has suggested to use this test as a screening tool for sport participation as well as a post-rehabilitation test to ensure dynamic functional symmetry. 

Figure (physiopedia)

How to perform The SEBT:

Conducting the Test (science for sport)

• The athlete should be wearing lightweight clothing and remove their footwear. After doing so, they are the required to stand in the centre of the star, and await further instruction.
• When using the right foot as the reaching foot, and the left leg to balance, the athlete should complete the circuit in a clockwise fashion. When balancing on the right leg, the athlete should perform the circuit in an anti-clockwise fashion.
• With their hands firmly placed on their hips, the athlete should then be instructed to reach with one foot as far as possible and lightly touch the line before returning back to the starting upright position.
• With a pencil, the test administrator should mark the spot at which the athlete touched the line with their toe. This can then be measured from the centre spot after the test to calculate the reach distance of each reach direction. Reach distances should be recorded to the nearest 0.5cm (22).
• They should then repeat this with the same foot for all reach directions before changing foot.
• After they have completed a full circuit (every reach direction) with each foot, they should then repeat this process for a total of three times per leg. For example, they should have three anterior reach performances for both their right and left leg.
• Once the athlete has performed 3 successful reaches with each foot in all directions, they are then permitted to step away from the testing area.
• The test administrator should have recorded the reach distance of each successful attempt, with a pencil, in order to calculate the athlete’s SEBT score after the test.

Scoring System

With the test complete and all performances measured and recorded, the test administrator can then calculate the athlete’s SEBT performance scores using the following simple equations:

• Average distance in each direction (cm) = Reach 1 + Reach 2 + Reach 3 / 3
• Relative (normalised) distance in each direction (%) = Average distance in each direction / leg length * 100

These calculations should be performed for both the right and left leg in each direction, providing you with a total of 16 scores per athlete.

 Normative data

Figure ( Miller, T., 2012).

• According to Hertel, Miller, and Deneger (2000), the reliability of the SEBT ranges between r = 0.85-0.96
• According to Plisky et al (2006), the reliability of this test ranges between 0.82-0.87 and scores 0.99 for the measurement of limb length
• Chaiwanichsiri et al (2005) concluded that the Star Excursion Balance training was more effective than a conventional therapy program in improving functional stability of a sprained ankle
• Plisky et al (2009) concluded that the intra-rater reliability of the SEBT as being moderate to good (ICC 0.67- 0.97) and inter-rater reliability as being poor to good (0.35-0.93) [2]

Supporting Articles/text

Advanced fitness assessment and exercise prescription. Heyward V. Human kinetics, 6th edition: 303 (5)

Miller, T. (2012). National Strength and Conditioning Association. Test and Assessment. Human Kinetics. Champagne, IL.

Bressel E, Yonker JC, Kras J, Heath EM. Comparison of Static and Dynamic Balance in Female Collegiate Soccer, Basketball, and Gymnastics Athletes. Journal of Athletic Training 2007;42(1):42–46.

Chaiwanichsiri D., Lorprayoon E., Noomanoch L. (2005). Star Excursion Balance Training : Effects on Ankle Functional Stability after Ankle Sprain. Journal of Medical Association Thailand 88(4): 90-94 (1B)

Plisky P., Rauh M., Kaminski T., Underwood F (2006) Star Excursion Balance Test as a Predictor of Lower Extremity Injury in High School Basketball Players. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. 36 (12) (1B)

Plisky P et al. (2009). The Reliability of an Instrumented Device for Measuring Components of the Star Excursion Balance Test.  American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. 4(2): 92–99. (2B)

Star Excursion Balance Test

The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a simple, but time intensive, test used to measure dynamic balance/dynamic postural control.

By Owen Walker Last updated: February 29th, 2024 8 min read

Contents of Article

What is the Star Excursion Balance Test?

Why is balance important in sports, how do you conduct the star excursion balance test, what is the star excursion balance test scoring system, is the star excursion balance test valid and reliable, further reading.

• About the Author

The Star Excursion Balance Test was developed to be a reliable measure of dynamic stability. Since then, it has proven to be a sensitive indicator of lower limb injury risk in a variety of populations. To add to this, the Star Excursion Balance Test has been shown to have high levels of intra-rater test-retest reliability , though no validity coefficients have been studied.

The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a relatively simple, but somewhat time-intensive, test used to measure dynamic balance, otherwise known as dynamic postural control (1). It measures dynamic balance by challenging athletes to balance on one leg and reach as far as possible in eight different directions (2). Though the SEBT is very similar to the Y Balance Test TM , it is important to understand that these are in fact different, with the Y Balance Test TM being a newer and condensed version of the SEBT.

Performance on the SEBT has been shown to differentiate between individuals with lower limb conditions such as chronic ankle instability (3-10), patellofemoral pain (11), and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (12). To add to this, the SEBT is even capable of assessing improvements in dynamic balance following training interventions (13, 14).

Perhaps the SEBT’s greatest talent is its ability to identify athletes with a higher risk of lower limb injury. For example, an anterior reach asymmetry of greater than 4cm during the SEBT has been suggested to predict which individuals are at higher risk of lower limb injury (15). However, other researchers have found that only female athletes with a composite score of less than 94 % of limb length were at greater risk of injury (15). More recent research in collegiate American football players has shown that athletes with a composite score of less than 90 % are 3.5 times more likely to sustain an injury (16).

All of this information suggests that each sport and population (e.g. gender) appear to have their own injury risk cut-off point (15, 16).

Balance, otherwise known as ‘postural control’, can be defined statically as the ability to maintain a base of support with minimal movement, and dynamically as the ability to perform a task while maintaining a stable position (17, 18). In a chaotic sporting environment, the ability to maintain a stable position is vital not only for successful application of the skill but to also reduce the likelihood of injury (15, 16, 19).

As dynamic balance is an integral part of performance, and poor balance is related to a higher risk of injury (20, 21, 15), then it may be of great interest to test and monitor an athlete’s dynamic stability.

It is important to understand that whenever fitness testing is performed, it must be done so in a consistent environment (e.g. facility) so it is protected from varying weather types, and with a dependable surface that is not affected by wet or slippery conditions. If the environment is not consistent, the reliability of repeated tests at later dates can be substantially hindered and result in worthless data.

Required Equipment Before the start of the test, it is important to ensure you have the following items:

• Reliable and consistent testing facility (minimum 2×2 metres (m)).
• Test administrator(s)
• Sticky tape (minimum 8m)
• Measuring tape
• Performance recording sheet

Test Configuration Video 1 displays the test configuration for the SEBT. This setup must be adhered to if accurate and reliable data is desired. The test administrator should stick four 120 cm lengths of sticky tape onto the floor, intersecting in the middle, and with the lines placed at 45°   angles (2).

Participants should thoroughly warm up prior to the commencement of the test. Warm-ups should correspond to the biomechanical and physiological nature of the test. In addition, sufficient recovery (e.g. 3-5 minutes) should be administered following the warm-up and prior to the commencement of the test.

Conducting the test

• The athlete should be wearing lightweight clothing and remove their footwear. After doing so, they are then required to stand in the centre of the star and await further instruction.
• When using the right foot as the reaching foot, and the left leg to balance, the athlete should complete the circuit in a clockwise fashion. When balancing on the right leg, the athlete should perform the circuit in an anti-clockwise fashion.
• With their hands firmly placed on their hips, the athlete should then be instructed to reach with one foot as far as possible and lightly touch the line before returning back to the starting upright position.
• With a pencil, the test administrator should mark the spot at which the athlete touched the line with their toe. This can then be measured from the centre spot after the test to calculate the reach distance of each reach direction. Reach distances should be recorded to the nearest 0.5cm (22).
• They should then repeat this with the same foot for all reach directions before changing foot.
• After they have completed a full circuit (every reach direction) with each foot, they should then repeat this process for a total of three times per leg. For example, they should have three anterior reach performances for both their right and left leg.
• Once the athlete has performed three successful reaches with each foot in all directions, they are then permitted to step away from the testing area.
• The test administrator should have recorded the reach distance of each successful attempt, with a pencil, in order to calculate the athlete’s SEBT score after the test.

NOTE: Failed attempts include the following:

• The athlete cannot touch their foot down on the floor before returning back to the starting position. Any loss of balance will result in a failed attempt.
• The athlete cannot hold onto any implement to aid their balance.
• The athlete must keep their hands on their hips at all times throughout the test.
• The athlete must lightly touch their toe on the reach line whilst staying in full control of their body. Any loss of balance resulting in a heavy toe/foot contact with the floor should be regarded as a failed attempt.

With the test complete and all performances measured and recorded, the test administrator can then calculate the athlete’s SEBT performance scores using the following simple equations (17):

• Average distance in each direction (cm) = Reach 1 + Reach 2 + Reach 3 / 3
• Relative (normalised) distance in each direction (%) = Average distance in each direction / leg length * 100

These calculations should be performed for both the right and left leg in each direction, providing you with a total of 16 scores per athlete.

Though no validity coefficients are available for the SEBT, authors (23) have provided evidence that the SEBT is sensitive for screening various musculoskeletal injuries (17). Furthermore, high intratester reliability has been found for the SEBT (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.78 – 0.96) (24).

We suggest you now check out this article on The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS).

All information provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. We do not accept any responsibility for the administration or provision of any testing conducted, whether that results in any positive or negative consequences. As an example, we do not take any responsibility for any injury or illness caused during any test administration. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

• Nelson, Brian D., “Using the Star Excursion Balance test as a predictor of lower extremity injury among high school basketball athletes” (2012).Theses and Dissertations. Paper 389. [Link]
• Gribble PA, Kelly SE, Refshauge KM, Hiller CE. Interrater Reliability of the Star Excursion Balance Test. Journal of Athletic Training 2013;48(5):621–626. [PubMed]
• Akbari M, Karimi H, Farahini H, Faghihzadeh S. Balance problems after unilateral lateral ankle sprains. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2006;43(7): 819–824. [PubMed]
• Gribble PA, Hertel J, Denegar CR. Chronic ankle instability and fatigue create proximal joint alterations during performance of the Star Excursion Balance Test. Int J Sports Med. 2007;28(3):236–242. [PubMed]
• Gribble PA, Hertel J, Denegar CR, Buckley WE. The effects of fatigue and chronic ankle instability on dynamic postural control. J Athl Train. 2004;39(4):321–329. [PubMed]
• Hale SA, Hertel J, Olmsted-Kramer LC. The effect of a 4-week comprehensive rehabilitation program on postural control and lower extremity function in individuals with chronic ankle instability. J Orthop Sport Phys Ther. 2007;37(6):303–311. [PubMed]
• Hertel J, Braham RA, Hale SA, Olmsted-Kramer LC. Simplifying the Star Excursion Balance Test: analyses of subjects with and without chronic ankle instability. J Orthop Sport Phys Ther. 2006;36(3):131– 137. [PubMed]
• Martinez-Ramirez A, Lecumberri P, Gomez M, Izquierdo M. Wavelet analysis based on time-frequency information discriminate chronic ankle instability. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2010;25(3): 256–264. [PubMed]
• Nakagawa L, Hoffman M. Performance in static, dynamic, and clinical tests of postural control in individuals with recurrent ankle sprains. J Sport Rehabil. 2004;13(3):255–268. [Link]
• Olmsted LC, Carcia CR, Hertel J, Shultz SJ. Efficacy of the Star Excursion Balance Tests in detecting reach deficits in subjects with chronic ankle instability. J Athl Train. 2002;37(4):501–506. [PubMed]
• Aminaka N, Gribble PA. Patellar taping, patellofemoral pain syndrome, lower extremity kinematics, and dynamic postural control. J Athl Train. 2008;43(1):21–28. [PubMed]
• Herrington L, Hatcher J, Hatcher A, McNicholas M. A comparison of Star Excursion Balance Test reach distances between ACL deficient patients and asymptomatic controls. Knee. 2009;16(2):149–152. [PubMed]
• McKeon PO, Ingersoll CD, Kerrigan DC, Saliba E, Bennett BC, Hertel J. Balance training improves function and postural control in those with chronic ankle instability. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008; 40(10):1810–1819. [PubMed]
• McLeod TC, Armstrong T, Miller M, Sauers JL. Balance improvements in female high school basketball players after a 6- week neuromuscular-training program. J Sport Rehabil. 2009;18(4): 465–481. [PubMed]
• Plisky PJ, Rauh MJ, Kaminski TW, Underwood FB. Star Excursion Balance Test as a predictor of lower extremity injury in high school basketball players. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2006;36(12):911–919. [PubMed]
• Butler RJ, Lehr ME, Fink ML, Kiesel KB, Plisky PJ. Dynamic balance performance and noncontact lower extremity injury in college football players: an initial study. Sports Health. 2013;5(5): 417–422. [PubMed]
• Bressel E, Yonker JC, Kras J, Heath EM. Comparison of Static and Dynamic Balance in Female Collegiate Soccer, Basketball, and Gymnastics Athletes. Journal of Athletic Training 2007;42(1):42–46. [PubMed]
• Winter DA, Patla AE, Frank JS. Assessment of balance control in humans. Med Prog Technol. 1990;16:31–51. [PubMed]
• Zazulak B, Cholewicki J, and Reeves NP. Neuromuscular control of trunk stability: Clinical implications for sports injury prevention. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 16: 497–505, 2008. [PubMed]
• de Noronha M, Franca LC, Haupenthal A, Nunes GS. Intrinsic predictive factors for ankle sprain in active university students: a prospective study [published online January 20, 2012]. Scan J Med Sci Sports. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0838.2011.01434. [PubMed]
• McGuine T. Sports injuries in high school athletes: a review of injury-risk and injury-prevention research. Clin J Sports Med. 2006;16:488-499. [PubMed]
• Shaffer SW, Teyhen DS, Lorenson CL, Warren RL, Koreerat CM, Straseske CA, Childs JD. Y-Balance Test: a reliability study involving multiple raters. Mil Med. 2013;178(11):1264-70. [PubMed]
• Olmstead L, Carcia C, Hertel J, Shultz S. Efficacy of star excursion balance test in detecting reach deficits in subjects with chronic ankle instability. Journal of Athletic Training. 2002;37(4):501-507. [PubMed]
• Hertel J, Miller S, Denegar C. Intratester and intertester reliability during the star excursion balance test. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. 2000;9(1):104-116. [Link]

Access our course on Agility for FREE!

Learn how to improve your athletes' agility. This free course also includes a practical coaching guide to help you design and deliver your own fun and engaging agility sessions.

Owen Walker

Owen is the Founder of Science for Sport and has a Master’s degree in Strength & Conditioning and a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Conditioning & Rehabilitation from Cardiff Metropolitan University. Before founding Science for Sport, he was the Head of Academy Sports Science at Cardiff City Football Club, and an interim Sports Scientist for the Welsh Football Association.

He’s published research on the ‘Practical Applications of Water Immersion Recovery Modalities for Team Sports’ in the Strength & Conditioning Journal by the NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association). He has also been featured in the Sports Business Journal and The Roar, Australia’s leading sports opinion website.

Learn from a world-class coach how you can improve your athletes' agility. This course also includes a practical coaching guide to help you to design and deliver your own fun and engaging agility sessions.

Why we exist

Our mission is to improve the performance of athletes and teams around the world by simplifying sports science and making it practical.

Try out our Academy and access our growing library of sports science courses.

Pricing FAQs Reviews Free trial

Blog Courses Newsletter Community Podcast Tools

About us Contact us Join our team Privacy policy Terms of use Terms and conditions Disclaimer

© 2024 Science for Sport | Catapult Sports

Home > Fitness Testing > Tests > Balance > Star Excursion

Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT)

The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a test of dynamic balance, using in a single-leg stance that requires strength, flexibility, core control and proprioception. The test requires participants to balance on one leg and reach as far as possible in eight different directions. The similar Y-Balance Test was derived from this test.

purpose : To assess active balance and core control

equipment required: A flat, smooth, non-slip surface, measuring tape, marking tape. To prepare for the test, four 120cm lengths of marking tape are placed on to the floor, intersecting in the middle, and with the lines placed at 45-degree angles.

pre-test: Explain the test procedures to the subject. Perform screening of health risks and obtain informed consent. Prepare forms and record basic information such as age, height, body weight, gender, test conditions. Perform an appropriate warm-up. See more details of pre-test procedures .

procedure: The subject should be wearing lightweight and non-restrictive clothing and no footwear. The subject stands on one foot in the center of the star with their hands on their hips. They then reach with one foot as far as possible in one direction and lightly touch the line before returning back to the starting position. The support foot must stay flat on the ground. This is repeated for a full circuit, touching the line in every reach direction. The assessor should mark the spot on the line where the subject was able to reach. The test should be repeated three times for each foot. The trial is invalid if the subject cannot return to the starting position, the foot makes too heavy of a touch, or if the subject loses balance. see video .

Scoring : After the test all the reached distances are recorded to the nearest 0.5cm. Calculate Average distance in each direction (average of the three measurements) and Relative (normalised) distance in each direction (%) (average distance in each direction / leg length * 100). These calculations should be performed for both the right and left leg in each direction, providing a total of 16 scores per athlete.

Comments: this test has been used as an indicator of lower limb injury risk in a variety of populations

advantages: this is a simple test to perform with simple and inexpensive equipment.

disadvantages: the test can be time-consuming if it needs to be performed on a large group of individuals.

The Test in Action

• See a video description of the star excursion balance test

Similar Tests

• A similar test, the y-balance test

Related Pages

• See a video about the Y Balance test
• About balance testing
• Other balance tests

Search This Site

Testing extra.

We have over 400 fitness tests listed, so it's not easy to choose the best one to use. You should consider the validity, reliability, costs and ease of use for each test. Use our testing guide to conducting, recording, and interpreting fitness tests. Any questions, please ask or search for your answer.

Latest Pages

• World Friendship Games
• How We Watch Sport
• Sound Reaction Time
• Trisome Games

Current Events

• Kentucky Derby
• French Open
• Paris Olympics
• 2024 Major Events Calendar

Popular Pages

• Super Bowl Winners
• Ballon d'Or Winners
• World Cup Winners

Latest Sports Added

• Wheelchair Cricket
• SUP Jousting
• Virtual Golf

home search sitemap store

SOCIAL MEDIA

newsletter facebook X (twitter )

privacy policy disclaimer copyright

contact author info advertising

134k followers

13k followers

288k followers

812k followers

Star Excursion Balance Test | Postural Control | Return to Play

• Assessment E-Book

The Star Excursion Balance Test, abbreviated as SEBT consists of a series of reaching tasks with the lower extremity in eight directions. According to a study by Gribble et al. (2013) , the SEBT has excellent inter-rater reliability between 0.86 to 0.92 and has been shown to be able to differentiate individuals with lower limb conditions like chronic ankle instability, Patellofemoral pain, and ACL reconstructions. For this reason, we consider the SEBT as a test with a high clinical value in practice.

In order to conduct the test, first, place 6 strips of tape on the ground at an angle of 45°. Before the actual test is started, 4-6 practice trials in each direction are required after which your patient can rest for 5 minutes.

For the actual test, the patient has 3 official measured test moments. To start, have your patient stand barefoot on one limb with his hands on the hips and ask him to try to reach as far as possible along with each tape. The tape measure should be touched lightly with the most distal portion of the reaching foot without shifting weight to or coming to rest on the foot of the reaching limb and the examiner marks the most distal point of contact on the measuring tape.

A trial is not considered complete if the participant touched heavily, came to rest at touchdown, had to make contact with the ground with the reaching foot to maintain balance, or lifted or shifted any part of the foot of the stance limb during the trial.

After each a trial in a direction, the patient returns his reaching limb to the starting position at the apex of the grid resuming a bilateral stance again. Then, repeat the same procedure with the same limb in another direction. A full circuit is done for one limb if all directions have been covered. Then switch legs and complete another full circuit. At the end of the Star Excursion Balance Test, the patient should have completed 3 full circuits with both legs and the distance of each trial should be measured.

Scoring: To score the SEBT, first calculate the average reach distance in each direction in centimeters, by dividing the sum of all 3 trials per leg through 3. So you should have 16 values. Then, calculate the relative (or normalized) distance in each direction as a percentage by taking the average distance in each direction, divided by the patient’s leg length, and multiplied by 100. If you now compare the legs with each other, this enables you to identify athletes with a higher risk of injury. For example, Plisky et al. (2006) found that an anterior reach asymmetry of greater than 4cm during the SEBT predicted individuals at higher risk for lower limb injuries in basketball players.

Pollock et al. (2010) found that Collegiate American football players with a composite score of less than 90% are 3.5 times more likely to sustain an injury.

Of course, these are only samples of two sport-specific cohorts which is why it is important to mention that the application and the generalization of the SEBT should be carefully considered for each sport and sex, as there is a huge variance in SEBT performance and injury risk between sports and sexes!

LEARN TO OPTIMIZE REHAB & RTS DECISION MAKING AFTER ACL RECONSTRUCTION

Other useful performance tests that you might be interested in are:

• Y-Balance Test
• Drop Jump Test
• Hop Test Cluster

Butler RJ, Lehr ME, Fink ML, Kiesel KB, Plisky PJ. Dynamic balance performance and noncontact lower extremity injury in college football players: an initial study. Sports health. 2013 Sep;5(5):417-22.

Bressel E, Yonker JC, Kras J, Heath EM. Comparison of static and dynamic balance in female collegiate soccer, basketball, and gymnastics athletes. Journal of athletic training. 2007 Jan;42(1):42.

Gribble PA, Kelly SE, Refshauge KM, Hiller CE. Interrater reliability of the star excursion balance test. Journal of athletic training. 2013;48(5):621-6.

Hubbard TJ, Kramer LC, Denegar CR, Hertel J. Contributing factors to chronic ankle instability. Foot & ankle international. 2007 Mar;28(3):343-54.

Plisky PJ, Gorman PP, Butler RJ, Kiesel KB, Underwood FB, Elkins B. The reliability of an instrumented device for measuring components of the star excursion balance test. North American journal of sports physical therapy: NAJSPT. 2009 May;4(2):92.

Robinson RH, Gribble PA. Support for a reduction in the number of trials needed for the star excursion balance test. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation. 2008 Feb 1;89(2):364-70.

Follow a course

• Learn from wherever, whenever, and at your own pace
• Interactive online courses from an award-winning team
• CEU/CPD accreditation in the Netherlands, Belgium, US & UK

Become an ACL rehab specialist in this world class online course and nail your patient's return-to-sport!

What customers have to say about this online course

Create your free account to gain access to this exclusive content and more!

To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.

Download our free physiotherapy app with all the knowledge you need.

Star Excursion Balance Test

My favourite dynamic postural control objective outcome measure.

Firstly, thanks for checking out the video. I hope that it was helpful and if you are not already using the Star Excursion Balance Test you will now.  This is the information that I felt was too ‘nitty gritty’ to include in the video.

Reliability of the Star Excursion Balance Test

The reliability of the SEBT components utilised (i.e. the anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral) ranged from 0.82 to 0.87 (ICC3,1) (Plisky et al. 2006). To put this in perspective, it is of similar reliability to assessing knee flexion ROM with a universal goniometer (Brosseau et al. 1997).

Clinical Implications of This Measure

Assessing Intervention Effectiveness: as a reliable measure, you can use it to gauge an athletes improvements in dynamic postural control over time.

Injury Prediction: Plisky et al. (2006) showed that athletes with anterior left/right reach differences greater than 4 cm were 2.5 times more likely to sustain a lower limb injury over the course of a season. They also found that female athletes with a composite reach distance less than 94.0% of their limb length (measured from ASIS to lateral malleolus) were 6.5 times more likely to have a lower extremity injury!

Relevant to Athletic Population: the SEBT is sensitive enough to show dynamic postural control in a number of athletic populations including ACL deficient and Chronic Ankle Instability patients (Herrington et al. 2009; Hertel et al. 2006).

Conclusions

My conclusion is that is a sweet test. If you want to objectively assess an athlete’s responses to neuromuscular and postural control training (and honestly why would you not) this is your go-to. This can be a massive motivational tool, and also proves how helpful your exercises are. Also, if you want to “pre-screen” for injury this can also be used as a helpful predictor and should be a component of your assessment.

Go set it up right now, and enjoy your new favourite outcome measure.

Brosseau L, Tousignant M, Budd J, Chartier N, Duciaume L, Plamondon S, O’Sullivan JP, O’Donoghue S, Balmer S. Intratester and intertester reliability and criterion validity of the parallelogram and universal goniometers for active knee flexion in healthy subjects. Physiotherapy Research International 1997; 2(3):150-166

Herrington L, Hatcher J, Hatcher A,  McNicholas M. A comparison of Star Excursion Balance Test reach distances between ACL defiient patients and asymptomatic controls. The Knee 16 (2009) 149–152

Hertel J, Braham RA, Hale SA, Olmsted Kramer LC. Simplifying the Star Excursion Balance Test: Analyses of Subjects With and Without Chronic Ankle Instability. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2006;36:131-137.

Plisky PJ, Rauh MJ, Kaminski TW, Underwood FB. Star Excursion Balance Test as a Predictor of Lower Extremity Injury in High School Basketball Players. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2006;36(12):911-919

Related Posts

hey fellow profession,

im a brazilian academic of physiotherapy and my work of completion of course is about a star test balance in injury of ACL and I don’t have found articles about SEBT, so you can send me your references on this post???

i really need… thanks

Natália Goulart ( [email protected] )

Hi Natália,

Thanks for your interest. Unfortunately, I am not able to distribute PDF documents of articles given this is digital piracy. You can, however, access these articles via each Journal’s website e.g. Journal of Orthopaedic Sports and Physical Therapy: http://www.jospt.org/ .

Hope this helps you out!

I currently using SEBT for my dissertation and I am at the point of putting the results into microsoft excel. What I wanted to know was what is the correct equation for measuring the composite scores?

Hope you can answer this Thanks

Seti ( [email protected] )

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Sports PT, The Sports PT. The Sports PT said: My favourite dynamic postural control measure – The Star Excursion Balance Test. http://bit.ly/9Eo7GN #physiotherapy #physicaltherapy […]

• MMT Online Seminar
• MMT Insiders

• Online Mentoring
• Top Products

Star Excursion Balance Test & Dynamic Postural Control

• Anterior (ANT), posteromedial (PM) and posterolateral (PL) lines.
• Stand on the central point.
• Hands on hips. 
• Reach as far as you can along the line and gently tap the line.
• Do not come to rest on the line.
• Do not transfer your body weight onto the reaching leg.

FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE 

• Vastus medialis is most active in anterior reach. 
• Vastus lateralis is least active in lateral reach.
• Medial hamstring is most active during anterolateral reach.
• Bicep femoris was most active during posterior and posterolateral reach. 

WHAT DOES THE SEBT TELL US?

Chronic ankle instability (cai):.

• In CAI, all three directions have the ability to identify reach deficits in participants compared to healthy controls, however, the PM is the most representative of the overall performance (Hertel, Braham, Hale & Olmsted-Kramer., 2006). 
• Anterior reach is more impacted by dorsiflexion ROM and plantar cutaneous sensation, meaning that mechanical restrictions and sensory deficits impact this movement.
• DF ROM is best evaluated with the knee to wall weight bearing lunge test compared to non weight bearing AROM (Dill et al., 2014). 
• Posteromedial and posterolateral reach is more impacted by eversion strength and balance control. 
• De la Motte, Arnold & Ross (2015) studied the movement pattern differences in trunk rotation and found that patients with CAI are more likely to use increased trunk flexion during anterior reach which suggests a compensation strategy for reduced ankle control is to manipulate the pelvis and trunk. 

ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION (ACLR):

• The same authors (De la Motte, Arnold & Ross., 2015, p.358) also studied trunk movements in ACL patients and found that following an ACLR, when reaching forward, patients are more likely to rotate their trunk away (backwards) from the reach leg and externally rotate the pelvis on the stance leg. 
• In a different study following ACLR, researchers found that when looking above the ankle and at the knee, patients with reduced quadricep strength have reduced reach capacity in the anterior directions (Clagg, Daterno, Hewett & Schmitt., 2015). 
• These same authors also found that hip abductions strength impacts all 3 directions, telling us that dynamic balance has contributions from the foot, ankle, knee, hip and trunk and our assessment of movement patterns should try consider all these areas too. 

PATELLOFEMORAL PAIN SYNDROME (PFPS):

IMPLEMENTATION INTO REHAB

REFERENCES:

Erson Religioso III, DPT, FAAOMPT

Post a comment, become a tmj/headache speciliast.

Eval, Reset, and Stabilize System

Get Certified in BFR Online!

Search for jobs.

IASTM Technique 2.0

EDGE Restriction System BFR Cuffs

Knee Rehab Done Right

Google workspace for emr.

Modern Manual Therapy Insiders

Featured Post

How to explain sij pain without using sij, rotation, or innominate.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get at Modern Manual Therapy courses is, "How do you explain SIJ dysfunction without us...

Total Pageviews

Blog archive.

• Dr. E's Private Network
• Dr. E's Shop
• Modern Manual Therapy
• EDGE Rehab and Sport Science
• Online Seminars

Unlimited CEUs

CashPT Blueprint

Copyright © 2023

Copyright 2015 Modern Manual Therapy Blog - Manual Therapy, Videos, Neurodynamics, Podcasts, Research Reviews | Designed by Veethemes.com

Reliability and Validity of the Star Excursion Balance Test for Evaluating Dynamic Balance of Upper Extremities

Affiliations.

• 1 Rehabilitation Medicine Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
• 2 School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
• 3 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai, China.
• 4 School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
• 5 Graduate School, Xi'an Physical Education University, Xi'an, China.
• 6 Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
• PMID: 38229219
• DOI: 10.1177/19417381231221716

Background: Upper extremity (UE) dynamic balance is a significant physical fitness ability, which includes high-level neuromuscular proprioception, joint mobility, force, and coordination. The evaluation methods of UE dynamic balance are insufficient and lack experimental support. The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a reliable assessment of dynamic balance and injury risk of the lower extremity.

Hypothesis: The UE-SEBT is a reliable and reproducible approach for evaluating dynamic balance of UEs.

Study design: Observational study.

Level of evidence: Level 4.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 65 healthy adults. All participants were required to complete UE-SEBT, UE Y-balance test (UE-YBT), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of UE, closed kinetic chain UE stability test (CKCUEST), trunk flexor endurance test (TFET), trunk extensor endurance test (TEET), and lateral trunk endurance test (LTET). Intra- and inter-rater reliability and the correlation of UE-SEBT with other outcomes were measured.

Results: Among the participants, the intra- and interoperator reliability of UE-SEBT in all directions and composite score achieved a moderate-to-excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICC], 0.729-0.946) reliability. For validity, the UE-SEBT had a moderate to very strong correlation with UE-YBT ( r = 0.315-0.755, P < 0.01) and a strong correlation with CKCUEST ( r = 0.4-0.67, P < 0.01). Furthermore, the UE-SEBT performance showed weak-to-strong correlations with MVIC ( r = 0.26-0.43, P < 0.05). UE-SEBT was also correlated with LTET, TEET, and TFET to varying degrees.

Conclusion: UE-SEBT has good reliability and validity to assess UE dynamic balance compared with other tests.

Clinical relevance: UE-SEBT can be used as a clinical assessment method to evaluate UE dynamic balance and injury prevention.

Keywords: dynamic balance; functional test; reliability; sport performance; upper extremity; validity.