FMS Hurdle Step: Understanding Height, Purpose, and Assessment

What is the height of the hurdle step in FMS?

The height of the hurdle step in the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is determined by the length of the individual's tibia, specifically measured from the floor to the tibial tuberosity. This personalized measurement ensures the assessment is relative to the individual's anatomy.

Understanding the FMS Hurdle Step

The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a standardized assessment tool designed to identify movement asymmetries and limitations that may predispose individuals to injury or hinder performance. Comprising seven fundamental movement patterns, the FMS provides a baseline for evaluating foundational mobility and stability. The Hurdle Step is one of these seven tests, specifically designed to assess hip mobility and stability, core stability, and single-leg balance.

Determining the Correct Hurdle Height

Unlike a fixed standard height, the FMS hurdle step height is individualized to each person being screened. This critical detail ensures the test is relevant to the participant's anthropometrics rather than imposing an arbitrary challenge.

• Measurement Protocol: The height of the hurdle is set at the level of the individual's tibial tuberosity.
• Locating the Tibial Tuberosity: This bony prominence is located on the anterior (front) aspect of the tibia, just below the knee cap (patella).
• Equipment: A standard FMS kit includes a measuring stick or tape to accurately determine this height from the floor. The hurdle itself is typically a string or dowel placed at this measured height between two uprights.

Purpose and Assessment Value

Setting the hurdle height to the tibial tuberosity is not arbitrary; it serves a specific biomechanical and assessment purpose:

• Relative Challenge: It creates a challenge that is proportional to the individual's limb length, ensuring that the test assesses fundamental movement capabilities rather than simply measuring how high someone can step.
• Assessment of Hip Mobility and Stability: The movement requires one leg to step over the hurdle while the other maintains stability and alignment. This highlights the ability of the hip joint of the stepping leg to flex, abduct, and externally rotate, while the standing leg's hip must maintain stability in the sagittal and frontal planes.
• Core Stability: The ability to maintain trunk control and avoid excessive lateral flexion or rotation during the step is crucial, indicating core strength and stability.
• Single-Leg Balance: The standing leg must maintain balance and control throughout the movement, revealing deficits in proprioception and ankle/foot stability.

Executing the Hurdle Step Correctly

While the focus here is on height, understanding the execution is vital for appreciating the test:

• Starting Position: The individual stands with feet together, toes touching the base of the hurdle. A dowel is held across the shoulders.
• Movement: The individual steps over the hurdle with one leg, aiming to clear it without touching, while keeping the dowel level and maintaining alignment of the ankle, knee, and hip of the standing leg. The heel of the stepping foot should land in line with the toes of the standing foot.
• Return: The stepping leg returns to the starting position with control. The test is then repeated on the opposite side.

Interpreting the Results

The FMS scoring system rates movements on a scale of 0-3:

• Score of 3: Excellent performance with all criteria met (e.g., no loss of balance, dowel parallel, no contact with hurdle, proper alignment).
• Score of 2: Acceptable performance with minor compensations (e.g., slight wobble, minor deviation in alignment).
• Score of 1: Significant compensation or inability to perform the movement (e.g., loss of balance, touching the hurdle, inability to maintain alignment).
• Score of 0: Pain experienced during the movement.

A low score on the hurdle step can indicate limitations in hip mobility (flexion, abduction, external rotation), hip stability, core control, or ankle stability. Such limitations can contribute to movement dysfunctions and potentially increase injury risk in activities requiring single-leg support or dynamic hip control.

Beyond the Hurdle Step

The FMS is designed to be a screening tool, not a diagnostic one. A low score on the hurdle step, or any FMS test, does not diagnose an injury but rather highlights a movement pattern that may require further investigation by a qualified healthcare professional (e.g., physical therapist, physician) or targeted corrective exercise strategies by a qualified fitness professional. The goal is to "clean up" fundamental movement patterns before adding load or complexity.

Conclusion

The height of the hurdle step in the FMS is precisely measured to the individual's tibial tuberosity, ensuring a personalized and biomechanically relevant assessment. This specific height is crucial for accurately evaluating hip mobility and stability, core control, and single-leg balance – foundational elements for efficient and injury-resilient movement. Understanding this specific detail underscores the FMS's commitment to individualized, evidence-based movement assessment.