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Abstract
The PSE can be used as a tool to allow athletes to participate safely in sports. The
goal of the PSE is not to disqualify athletes but to ensure that their participation
in sports does not unnecessarily increase their risk of injury. The PSE is most effectively
conducted by the station method with multiple examiners, one of whom should have specialty
training in musculoskeletal disorders. The examination should be conducted 6 weeks
prior to the beginning of the season and at the beginning of each new level of competition,
unless directed differently by local laws. The correct use of the PSE should screen
for signs and symptoms of pathological states that may lead to a nontraumatic death
while participating in sports. An effective musculoskeletal examination should detect
any postinjury deficits that may lead to subsequent reinjury later in the season.
It is our hope that a PSE, based on the literature, can be used to prevent some of
the nontraumatic deaths and musculoskeletal injury associated with sports participation.