Biomechanical Analysis of Functional Movement in Athletes Using Kinovea

The Functional Movement Assessment (FMS) is a widely utilized tool in sports for evaluating and enhancing physical performance and health in athletes and individuals. Kinovea, a video analysis software designed for biomechanical analysis, complements the FMS by providing a precise assessment of functional movement quality, contributing to injury prevention and sports performance. This study aimed to investigate whether Kinovea could replace visual assessment in FMS for detailed movement biomechanics analysis. Twenty-two participants from university sports teams (volleyball, basketball, and soccer) underwent four FMS exercises: deep squat, active straight leg raise, hurdle step, and in-line lunge recorded and analyzed using Kinovea. Results revealed that Kinovea, alongside expert visual assessment, enhances FMS evaluation by offering objective angular data for knee, hip, and ankle joints. The study concluded by assigning angular ranges to FMS scores, simplifying, and refining the evaluation process. Notably, the research found no significant correlation between athletes’ movement quality and sociodemographic variables, highlighting the influence of other factors on movement quality. This underscores the necessity of considering various factors in evaluating and enhancing athletes’ physical performance.