Are the Current Balance Screening Tests in Dance Medicine Specific Enough for Tracking the Effectiveness of Balance-Related Injury Rehabilitation in Dancers? A Scoping Review

Abstract

Aims: This review sought to determine the extent to which balance screening tests in dance medicine are representative of dance movements and to determine if such tests can be used to empirically track the effectiveness of balance-related injury rehabilitations in dancers.Methods: A five-step scoping review method was used. Multiple databases and reference lists of identified studies were searched to obtain original research published between 2000 and 2020 that described the balance screening tests used for data collection. Articles were excluded if they were: qualitative studies, reviews, opinion papers, consensus statements, conference proceedings, or used questionnaires to collect balance performance data.Results: Fifteen of the 31 studies included in this review used different models of force platforms in their balance screenings. The Star Excursion Balance Tests (SEBT) and its variants were used by 12 studies, single-leg stance with eyes opened or eyes closed on stable versus unstable surfaces was used by six studies, Airplane test (n = 6 studies), Pirouette Test (n = 3 studies), Romberg and variants of modified Romberg Tests (n = 3 studies) were also used for balance screening.Conclusion: Currently, there is no specific screening test that can be used empirically to screen balance performances among dancers. None of the currently available balance screening tests are specific enough for tracking the effectiveness of balance-related injury rehabilitation or for making a return to dance decision after balance-related injury rehabilitation.