Injury Prevention & Rehab

Biological Motion Perception for Accelerating Sport Performance and Injury Prevention: A Scoping Review.

This review examined how point-light displays (simplified animations showing only moving joints) can help athletes anticipate opponents' actions and detect injury-prone movement patterns. The research found that point-light displays effectively train anticipation skills and motor learning across sports, with the underlying mechanism relying on athletes' perception of movement patterns combined with their prior experience.

Feasibility and Preliminary Effects of AI-Generated Personalized Sleep Feedback in High School Female Soccer Players: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

This pilot study tested whether AI-generated personalized sleep feedback delivered via a mobile app could improve sleep in 25 high school female soccer players compared to a control group receiving generic sleep information. The intervention group showed a small improvement in sleep efficiency and some improvements in subjective sleep quality and mood, though the study was small and the findings are preliminary.

Upper extremity injuries in high school soccer goalkeepers

This study compared upper extremity injuries (shoulder, upper arm, elbow) in high school soccer goalkeepers versus field players using data from 2008-2018. Goalkeepers had a much higher rate of upper extremity injuries (8.0% vs. 1.9%), with most injuries occurring during games rather than practice, though goalkeepers recovered in similar or longer timeframes yet returned to play more often than field players.

Injury characteristics and pre- to post-injury market-value change in professional football: a retrospective cohort study of 12,948 injury episodes

This study examined how different types and lengths of injuries affected the market value of professional football players across Europe's top leagues from 2008 to 2024, analyzing nearly 13,000 injury episodes. The main findings were that longer injuries (over 90 days) were associated with about a 26% lower market value growth compared to short injuries, while older players experienced greater value declines after injury; notably, the specific type of injury mattered less than how long the player was sidelined.

Current Management Approaches for Patellar Tendinopathy in Athletes

Bridging the Research-Practice Gap: Diffusion and User Experience of a Digital Health Platform in Swedish Athletics.

A Return to Performance Continuum for Football (Soccer) Players After ACL Reconstruction: Bridging Rehabilitation, Return to Play and Sustained Performance.

Return to sports after lumbar disc herniation surgery: a survey of German surgeons and postoperative patient experiences.

Mechanisms of hamstring strain injuries in sprinting: an integrative scoping review of intrinsic, biomechanical and modifiable risk factors

Effects of flexibility and strength training on peak hamstring musculotendinous strains during sprinting

Exercise-Based injury prevention in football: An Umbrella review of functional outcomes, return to play, and player availability

Intervenções fisioterapêuticas na reabilitação funcional de atletas de futebol pós-entorse de tornozelo

Shear wave elastography for assessing lower extremity muscle stiffness after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A systematic review.

Hangboard Training as a Preventive Strategy for Upper Extremity Pathologies in Rock Climbers.

Occupational Heat Stress Prevention Interventions: A Scoping Review of Evidence and Gaps

Calf Injuries: An Anatomy-Based Approach to Diagnosis, Management and Return to Sport

From 'My world fell apart' to 'The best thing that happened in my life': elite athletes' longitudinal journeys after an injury.

From Fear to Function: How Physiotherapists Navigate Psychological Challenges in Patients Undergoing Rehabilitation After ACL Reconstruction.

Trait Sport Anxiety as the Only Consistent Predictor Across Injury Mechanisms in Young Taekwondo Athletes: A 6- to 10-Month Prospective Cohort Study.

Combined photobiomodulation and exosome therapy for muscle and tendon regeneration: an experimental rabbit study

Early functional recovery following accelerated rehabilitation after arthroscopic anterior talofibular ligament repair.

Stroboscopic Versus Traditional Balance Training in Female Volleyball Players With Chronic Ankle Instability: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Integración del FIFA 11+ y el Entrenamiento Multimodal Basado en Realidad Virtual para Reducir el Riesgo de Lesiones Deportivas en Jóvenes Atletas: Desarrollo y Validez

Relationship Between Handgrip Strength and Competitive Performance in Powerlifting

Football Cleats and Injury Patterns in 14- to 19-Year-Old Female Football Players: The Effect of Surface, Gender-Specific Shoe Gear and Cleat Pattern.

This survey of 99 female football players aged 14-19 found that 60% reported lower extremity injuries, with ankle sprains and ACL tears being most common. Players wearing men's cleats had twice the injury risk compared to those wearing women's cleats, and firm ground surfaces were also linked to nearly double the injury odds regardless of cleat pattern.

Cyber trends in sport as a new environment for guided human development

This study examines how digital technology is transforming sport into new hybrid environments like virtual sports, esports, and phygital disciplines that combine physical and digital elements. The research identifies five distinct types of cyber-sport practices and proposes that supporting athletes in these environments requires monitoring functional state, cognitive load, stress, sleep, and visual fatigue to prevent issues like problematic gaming behavior.

Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of oblique injuries: Introduction of the deadrise sign

Oblique injuries, which occur when forceful trunk rotation tears the internal oblique muscle from the ribs, are common in sports and cause significant missed playing time. This study reviewed MRI images of oblique injuries at a single institution and introduced the "deadrise sign" as a diagnostic finding, along with guidance on MRI protocols and treatment approaches.

The 2026 ESSKA-ESA formal consensus on partial-thickness posterosuperior rotator cuff tears (Part 2): Treatment strategies, rehabilitation, return to sport and complications.

This study compiled expert consensus recommendations on treating partial-thickness rotator cuff tears affecting the upper back of the shoulder, covering surgery versus non-surgical options, rehabilitation, and returning to sports. Key findings showed that conservative treatment for at least 6 months is supported by evidence, that different surgical repair techniques have similar return-to-sport rates, and that treatment should be tailored to individual patient factors rather than following one standard approach.

Team USA Paralympic athletes' experiences with sport participation: a socioecological qualitative study.

This study interviewed 19 Team USA Paralympic athletes about their positive and negative experiences in competitive Paralympic sports, exploring how personal, social, organizational, and policy factors shaped their participation. Athletes reported benefits like improved self-acceptance and community belonging, but also faced significant barriers including financial strain, healthcare access challenges, travel demands, and difficulty balancing sport with work and family.

Research Progress on Rhythmic Gymnastics-Specific Training and Meniscal Injuries in Athletes

Rhythmic gymnastics places extreme demands on knee joints through repeated jumping, twisting, landing, and deep knee bends, making meniscal (knee cartilage) injuries a common problem in the sport. This review examines what causes these injuries, how sport-specific training contributes to them, and what interventions and rehabilitation methods can help prevent and treat them.

Limited predictive value of preseason isokinetic strength testing for noncontact lower extremity injuries in elite female football players: A 5-year prospective cohort study.

This study tracked 271 elite female soccer players over five seasons to see if preseason strength testing could predict lower extremity injuries. While a lower hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio was associated with slightly higher injury risk, preseason strength testing alone had limited ability to predict most types of injuries and should not be used as a standalone screening tool.

Rethinking recovery after hamstring muscle injury in elite football: speed exposure normalised to maximal speed reveals hidden sprint reductions after return to play

This study tracked 87 professional football players who returned from hamstring injuries and found that traditional speed measurements made recovery look complete, but when researchers adjusted measurements to each player's individual maximum speed, they revealed that players were actually running significantly slower at high intensities for up to 14 matches after returning to play. The findings suggest that football teams may be underestimating how long players take to fully recover their sprinting ability after hamstring injuries.

Reliability and Validity of AI-Based Pose Estimation Algorithms for Assessing Lower-Limb Flexibility and Joint Range of Motion

Beyond Rehabilitation: Triangulating Return-to-Activity and Return-to-Sport Decisions in Golfers with Back Pain.

This study created a new framework for helping golfers with non-specific low back pain decide when they're ready to return to activity and competition, combining scientific evidence with expert interviews. The researchers found that psychological factors like motivation and fear avoidance, plus functional mobility, matter more than just biomedical measurements alone, and they developed a three-stage return-to-activity plan and five-phase golf-specific return-to-sport progression.

Plantar fasciitis in athletes as an overuse injury of the musculoskeletal system: risk factors and technologies for accelerating recovery processes

This review examines plantar fasciitis in athletes, a degenerative condition affecting the heel, and categorizes its risk factors into two groups: those related to the athlete's body structure and function, and those related to training characteristics. The study systematizes prevention and rehabilitation strategies based on these different risk factors.

Risk factors and interventions for injury in competitive swimmers: a scoping review

This review examined what causes injuries in competitive swimmers and what prevention methods work, analyzing 58 studies and finding that training volume, prior injuries, and muscle imbalances are the main risk factors, while most prevention programs only target the shoulder or back. The research shows that swimmers need whole-body injury prevention strategies rather than focusing on single body regions, since injuries commonly occur in the shoulder, lower back, and knee.

Bioelectrical Recovery After Knee Injury in an Elite Alpine Skier: A Longitudinal 19-Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis Case Report.

Assessment of readiness for return to skiing after coronary artery bypass grafting and left ventricular reconstruction using cardiopulmonary exercise testing and field-based expiratory gas analysis: a case report.

How are biomechanical and psychosocial factors associated with injuries across one season in Swedish elite and sub-elite female soccer players?

Eating for performance: an evaluation of food consumption patterns and adherence to dietary guidelines in elite wheelchair basketball players

This study examined the eating and hydration habits of 66 elite wheelchair basketball players in Spain, comparing their diets against national nutritional guidelines and looking at differences between men and women and different functional classifications. The athletes generally fell short of recommendations for fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and fish, while most didn't follow any structured diet, and hydration practices were particularly poor—especially among women and players with greater functional limitations.

from treatment to prevention: global evolution of sports injury research in surveillance, rehabilitation, and risk management, 1990-2024

This bibliometric study analyzed how sports injury research has evolved from 1990 to 2024 by examining publication patterns, collaboration trends, and keyword shifts across 35 years. The field has progressively shifted from simply describing and treating common injuries toward prevention-focused approaches, including standardized surveillance systems, workload management, and return-to-sport decision-making supported by monitoring technologies and epidemiologic frameworks.

Osteitis Pubis in Athletes in the Era of Pubic-Related Groin Pain: Contemporary Concepts in Diagnosis, Rehabilitation, and Surgical Decision-Making.

Penguatan Kompetensi Pelatih dan Manajerial AAFI Regional Jayapura Melalui Pelatihan Kinesio Taping untuk Pencegahan dan Rehabilitasi Cedera Olahraga

This study evaluated a kinesio taping training program designed to improve coaches' and managers' knowledge of injury prevention and rehabilitation at a futsal organization in Jayapura. Participants showed a significant increase in understanding scores from 28.30 before training to 40.90 after training, demonstrating that structured, practice-based kinesio taping instruction effectively improved their competence.

Mapping the Research Landscape of Osteitis Pubis and Athletic Pubalgia in Soccer

This study analyzed 577 research papers published between 1984 and 2026 about osteitis pubis and athletic pubalgia (chronic groin conditions affecting soccer players) using bibliometric methods to map research trends, productivity, and themes. Research output on these conditions has increased substantially over time, with studies from the US, Australia, Denmark, and England leading the field, and major research focuses including diagnosis, imaging, rehabilitation, risk factors, and return to play.

When evidence fails in real life: Rethinking sports injury rehabilitation and prevention

This paper argues that traditional linear, one-size-fits-all models of sports injury prevention and rehabilitation have failed to explain real-world injury patterns or guide effective clinical practice. The authors propose a complexity-informed framework that integrates research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values to better understand how biological, psychological, and social factors dynamically interact in sports injuries.

Assessing Shoulder Joint Kinematics During the Bench Press Exercise in Competitive Powerlifters With Markerless Motion Capture.

Researchers used markerless motion capture to track shoulder joint movement in 19 competitive powerlifters (10 male, 9 female) performing three sets of eight bench press repetitions at 73.9% of their one-rep max. They found that shoulder range of motion increased significantly within each set as lifters fatigued, with female lifters showing greater increases in range of motion compared to male lifters.

THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF COANALGESICS IN PAIN MODULATION AMONG ATHLETES

This review examines how coanalgesics—drugs like antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and local anesthetics that aren't traditional painkillers but enhance pain relief—can help athletes manage pain while following anti-doping rules and minimizing side effects. The authors conclude that coanalgesics offer promise for athletes, particularly through topical treatments and paracetamol, while cautioning against overuse of NSAIDs and opioids, though they note more high-quality research is needed to establish optimal protocols.

The Impact of Sports Participation on Gait in Young Adults: A Multifactorial Biomechanical Analysis of Athletes, Former Athletes and Sedentary Individuals

This study compared walking patterns in 30 young adults across three groups: current competitive athletes, former athletes, and sedentary individuals using advanced motion capture technology. Current and former athletes showed better overall gait quality (measured by GDI and GPS scores) compared to sedentary individuals, though basic walking parameters like speed and stride length were similar across groups.

Knowledge and practice of evidence-based mild traumatic brain injury guidelines among physicians providing emergency and trauma care in Israel.

This study surveyed 68 Israeli emergency and trauma physicians to assess their knowledge and practice of evidence-based guidelines for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) management. While most physicians recognized common mTBI symptoms like headaches and dizziness, significant gaps were found in implementing key protocols: only 38% instructed patients on return-to-activity, 32% on return-to-work/school, and just 3% referred patients to specialized mTBI clinics, with lack of awareness of available services being the main reported barrier.

The Effect of Soft Tissue Mobilization and Kinesio Taping on Sportive Performance in Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study tested whether instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and Kinesio taping (KT) could improve balance, agility, and jumping power in athletes. IASTM improved balance and agility, while KT improved agility, with no major difference between the two methods.

Advancing Rehabilitation and Preventive Care with Real-Time AI Motion Analysis and Live Feedback

This commentary examines how AI systems that analyze your movement patterns in real-time can help you exercise more safely by giving immediate feedback on your form and reducing fear of getting injured. The authors argue that tracking actual movement quality—not just how much you exercise—could make exercise a more reliable tool for both recovery and injury prevention.

Artificial Intelligence for Injury Prevention and Recovery in Sport Medicine

This review examines how artificial intelligence is being used in sports medicine to prevent injuries and improve recovery, focusing on technologies worn by athletes (like wearables) and external monitoring systems (like video analysis). The research highlights that AI has enhanced the detection of injury risk, monitoring of athlete workload, and personalization of rehabilitation programs in sports medicine.

Rehabilitation Following Ulnar Collateral Ligament Surgery in the Overhead Athlete: A Construct-Specific Commentary.

This article discusses rehabilitation strategies for overhead athletes who have undergone surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament, which is a common injury in throwing sports. The piece provides expert commentary on how to structure recovery programs specific to the demands of overhead athletic movements.

Immediate Self-Rehabilitation With Versus Without Sling Immobilization After Open Latarjet Procedures for Recurrent Anterior Shoulder Instability: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study compared two rehabilitation approaches after open Latarjet shoulder surgery (a procedure to fix recurrent shoulder dislocations): one group wore a sling for 3 weeks post-op while the other avoided the sling entirely, with both groups doing immediate self-rehabilitation exercises. At 2 years post-op, the no-sling group reported better shoulder function scores, higher satisfaction, and better stability ratings, with no significant differences in early recovery or return-to-sport rates between groups.

Arthrogenic muscle inhibition and quadriceps activation failure: Reconciling terminology and clinical perspectives across recovery phases.

After ACL injury and surgery, people often experience quadriceps activation failure—an inability to fully activate the thigh muscle during maximal effort—which is influenced by pain, disuse, fatigue, and psychological factors beyond just nerve-muscle inhibition. The study proposes classifying this activation failure into three stages (severe, substantial, and persistent) based on when it occurs in the recovery timeline to help clinicians tailor rehabilitation and track progress.

"We can't just copy and paste what the men do into female sport": contextual experiences and perceptions of injury and injury prevention in adolescent female rugby.

Arthroscopic management of ankle ligament injuries: a new gold standard?

This review examined whether arthroscopic surgery (minimally invasive keyhole surgery) should become the standard treatment for ankle ligament injuries, considering when surgery is needed and how it compares to traditional open surgery. The literature suggests arthroscopic techniques produce functional results equivalent to or better than open surgery, with fewer complications, faster return to sport, and greater patient satisfaction, though larger studies are needed to fully confirm this as a new gold standard.

Elastic Resistance Bands in Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review of Neuromuscular Mechanisms, Prescription, and Functional Applications.

Residual imaging abnormalities after acute hamstring strain injury: implications for return-to-sport decision-making

A Clinician's Guide to Evaluating and Managing Shoulder Overuse Injury in Softball Pitchers.

Shoulder overuse injuries affect about one-third of softball pitchers each season, typically in the throwing shoulder's biceps-labral complex due to repetitive high-stress throwing. Effective evaluation requires a comprehensive patient history and physical exam, while treatment should include rehabilitation addressing the whole kinetic chain, especially the hips and lower back, not just the shoulder itself.

Timing of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and associated intra-articular pathology and patient-reported outcomes: A systematic review.

This systematic review examined whether getting ACL surgery within three months of injury versus waiting longer affects meniscal damage, cartilage damage, and how patients feel and function after surgery. Early reconstruction (within three months) was associated with less meniscal injury, but there were no clear differences in cartilage damage or patient-reported outcomes between the two timing groups.

Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation of the Combined Effects of Physical Therapy and Exercise Therapy in the Rehabilitation of Sports Injuries.

This study compared rehabilitation outcomes in athletes with knee, ankle, or muscle strain injuries who received either physical therapy alone or physical therapy combined with staged exercise therapy over 8 weeks. The combined approach led to greater improvements in pain reduction, functional recovery, balance, and quality of life compared to physical therapy alone, with no safety concerns.

Injuries Associated with Recreational and Sport Angling: A Case Series of Mechanisms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation.

Residual Neuromuscular Deficits Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Revealed by Phase-Specific Force, Electromyographic Complexity and Inter-Limb Asymmetries in Flywheel Squat.

Integrated Kinetic Chain Function in Overhead Athletes: Clinical Implications for Injury Risk, Rehabilitation, and Return to Performance.

This review explains how overhead athletes (like baseball pitchers and volleyball players) generate power through a coordinated chain from their legs and hips up through their trunk to their shoulder and elbow, rather than relying on arm strength alone. The authors outline how injuries should be assessed and treated using this full-body perspective, with practical guidance for rehab, training, and workload management.

Rectus femoris scarring as a marker of greater muscle injury risk in young football players: a prospective observational study

This study tracked 176 football players over two seasons to see if scar tissue in the rectus femoris (thigh muscle) detected by ultrasound was linked to future muscle injuries. Players with scars had more injuries overall, but when accounting for age and prior injuries, the scar effect largely disappeared—except that scars involving tendons predicted quicker re-injury.

Letter to the Editor: "Return to preinjury sport after ACL injury treated with rehabilitation alone or ACL reconstruction: Results from the NACOX prospective cohort study".

This letter discusses findings from the NACOX study regarding athletes returning to sport after ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury, comparing outcomes between those who received rehabilitation alone versus those who underwent surgical reconstruction. Without the abstract details available, the specific findings and outcomes cannot be summarized.

Effectiveness of Vibration Foam Roller Stretching and Ballistic Stretching on Hamstring Flexibility among Amateur Male Athletes – A Randomized Control Trial

This study compared vibration foam roller stretching to ballistic stretching for improving hamstring flexibility in 80 young male athletes over 4 weeks, using tests that measure knee extension range and sitting forward reach. Ballistic stretching produced significantly greater improvements in hamstring flexibility on both measures compared to vibration foam rolling.

High Prevalence of Sports-Related Injuries Among Medical Student-Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study surveyed 197 medical student-athletes and found that 67.5% had suffered a sports-related injury in the previous year, with most injuries affecting the lower limbs (especially ankles and knees). Among those injured, about half experienced time loss from sports and over half reported lasting functional limitations, with athletics and futsal participants showing higher injury rates.

Ramadan Intermittent Fasting and Injury Epidemiology in Mid and Late Adolescent Elite Male Football Players: A Prospective Cohort Study of Incidence, Burden, Training Load, and Psychophysiological Well‐Being

This study tracked 101 elite teenage male football players across 13 weeks to see how Ramadan fasting affected their injury rates, training stress, and recovery. During Ramadan, injury incidence nearly doubled and injury burden more than doubled, while perceived training load and fatigue increased significantly and protein intake dropped.

Application of musculoskeletal ultrasound in postoperative rehabilitation assessment and monitoring after rotator cuff repair: A systematic review.

This systematic review examined whether musculoskeletal ultrasound—a imaging technique that measures tendon stiffness, thickness, and muscle quality—can guide rehabilitation decisions after rotator cuff surgery. The study found that ultrasound measurements like shear wave velocity (tendon stiffness) and muscle size both change predictably after surgery and correlate with functional outcomes, with stiffness measured at 12 weeks predicting return to sport, though more research is needed to prove ultrasound-guided rehabilitation works better than traditional time-based approaches.

Survey on Dental Trauma, Head and Neck Injuries, and Mouthguard Use in Wrestlers at the 77th National Sports Festival: First Report.

Readaptación funcional post lesión en jugadores de fútbol: Revisión bibliográfica desde la perspectiva de la fisioterapia deportiva.

Analysis of Performance During The Takeoff Phases in The Long Jump, From A Biomechanical Perspective

Sports Injuries and Characteristics Among College Students of Eastern and Greater Accra Colleges of Education of Ghana.

Functional asymmetry in young male and female artistic gymnasts

Mechanism of continuous exercise intention after sport injury: a chained HBM-TPB mediation model.

Rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament injuries - A survey of Swedish physical therapists.

If ACL injury is multifactorial, why is return-to-sport testing not? A determinant-alignment framework for ACL rehabilitation and return to sport.

Human bioimpedance-based state detection technologies for sports health monitoring: a review

A Comparative Study On The Effectiveness Of Sport-Specific And General Conditioning Training For Performance Parameters In Young Mixed Martial Arts Athletes

Effectiveness of a Sports-Specific Warm-Up Protocol versus a Conventional Training Program in Badminton Players: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Return to Sport and Functional Outcomes Following Spine Surgery in Hockey Players: A Scoping Review.

Do we need to stretch? Active alternatives and contrasting perspectives on current stretch-recommendations – A literature review

Opportunities for correcting psychosomatic states of elite athletes during pre-competition activities using off-training methods and extra-training means

Patients' Mental Barriers in Rehabilitation after ACL Reconstruction: A Qualitative Interview Study.

Return to Golf Rehabilitation Progression after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using an Evidence-Based Foundation.

Utilization of the Functional Lower Extremity Evaluation (FLEE) in Return-to-Sport Rehabilitation Protocol Following Hip Arthroscopy in Collegiate Athletes: A Case Series.

Evidence-Based Sports Injury Prevention in the General Population: Effective Programs, Implementation Strategies, and Public Health Policies

Nutritional Strategies for Injury Prevention and Recovery: A Review of Evidence-Based Nutritional Interventions to Prevent Sports-Related Injuries and Enhance Recovery in Athletes.

Differential neurological adaptations during rehabilitation and at the time of return to sports in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Adductor-Related Athletic Groin Pain: A Clinical Commentary

Epidemiology, Mechanisms, and Treatments of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Beach Volleyball

Early and persisting increase in fat content after human muscle strain injuries in adults

Ground reaction forces in cricket VS sprinting: A comparative analysis

Return-to-Sport and Early Reinjury After Grade II Hamstring Injuries in Elite Professional Football Players

Pediatric Sports Medicine: A Comprehensive Review.

Proximal Hamstring-Related Sciatic Nerve Entrapment Presenting as Recurrent Hamstring Strain in a Professional Footballer: A Case Report.

Fatigue-induced changes in static and dynamic balance control in athletes with chronic ankle instability: a systematic review.

The Hidden Cost of Sports Injuries: A Medico-Legal Perspective on Performance, Career and Contracts.

Neuroperiodization After Sport-Related Concussion: A Perspective on Adaptive Load Prescription Within the Amsterdam Return-to-Sport Strategy.

Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Deltoid Ligament Complex in Healthy Ankles: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This is a protocol paper — a published plan for an upcoming systematic review and meta-analysis on the anatomy and mechanical properties of the deltoid (inner) ankle ligament complex in healthy adults. It outlines the databases, inclusion criteria and outcomes (ligament band prevalence, size, failure load, stiffness) the authors will pool, but reports no results yet since the review hasn't been conducted.

"Burying the proud part of my body": a Chinese student-athlete's autoethnography from concussion recovery to role exit.

Sports Medicine in Scandinavia: Academic Leadership Without a Consistent Clinical Specialty

An Interpretable, Data‐Driven, Hierarchical Multi‐Domain Fusion Framework for Classification and Motor Function Scoring in Chronic Ankle Instability

Midterm Outcomes After Suture Button Fixation for Arthroscopically Confirmed Concomitant Syndesmotic Instability in Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Clinical outcomes after surgical treatment of open thigh muscular tears in skeletally immature patients.

Occult Osteochondral Injuries in Athletes: Advanced Imaging, Clinical Evolution, and Criteria for Safe Return to Sport

PEDAGOGICAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR DEVELOPING ENDURANCE CONSIDERING THE AGE-SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS

Sprint and explosive performance changes following six weeks of plyometric training in collegiate track and field athlete

The cold‐water immersion recovery–adaptation paradox: Reconciling acute parasympathetic and analgesic benefits with chronic hypertrophy attenuation

Sport-specific injury profiles and associated factors in elite wrestlers and judokas

Exploring seasonal and organisational determinants of injury recurrence and burden in Croatian football and handball

Age-moderating effects and training characteristics of neuromuscular training for preventing knee injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ankle Lateral Collateral Ligament Injury Rehabilitation: Current Issues and Future Trends

Physical Performance Profiling of Elite Female Sepak Takraw National Athletes A Modern Sport Science Approach

Two‐year ultrasound follow‐up of patellar tendon, Achilles tendon and plantar fascia in collegiate athletes: Persistence of sonographic abnormalities and symptom development

Pharmacologic Adjuncts for Bone Stress Injuries in Athletes: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Clinical Practice.

Specific Overuse Injuries in Professional Athletes.

Strength and Conditioning Practices in Tennis: A Narrative Review of Contemporary Evidence.

MSCA HOPE - Physical education in hospital schools: A protocol paper for systematic and umbrella reviews with policy framework analysis.

Coping with Stress in Athletes: Psychological Strategies and Psychometric Tools for Stress and Anxiety Assessment.

Return-to-Play After Isolated Grade 2 Gastrocnemius Muscle Injuries in Professional Soccer Players: Retrospective and Descriptive Case Series

ChatGPT-generated rehabilitation programs in sports physiotherapy: an expert evaluation and a mixed-methods study of clinical applicability.

From linear rehabilitation to graded stress exposure: A clinical framework for return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

This is a narrative review (expert concept paper, not an experiment) proposing a new way to guide athletes back to sport after ACL reconstruction. The authors argue that standard strength and hop tests don't capture the chaotic, fast-decision demands of real competition, so they built a four-phase framework that gradually ramps up four kinds of stress: mechanical load, movement variability, external perturbation, and decision-making speed. The authors note the framework has not yet been tested prospectively for reducing reinjury.

Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms and competitive anxiety in tennis players: a cross-sectional study.

Get it moving: Return to activity and sport following primary total knee arthroplasty is not associated with increased adverse events.

Postoperative rehabilitation and pain control after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in South Korea: A web-based survey.

Surgical Versus Conservative Management of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries in the Overhead Athlete: A Narrative Review.

Conservative management of an isolated near-complete distal biceps femoris tendon rupture in an elite football player.

Impact of postoperative isolated patellar chondromalacia on return-to-sport readiness, knee function, and strength following primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a retrospective comparative study.

The Relationship of Body Mass Indeks, Minutes Played, Assists, and Turnovers on the Efficiency of Male and Female Basketball Athletes in the 2025 Honda DBL Central Java North Final Round

Reframing Hamstring Strain Injury Risk in Soccer: A Sprint Mechanism-Oriented ‘Hardware-Software’ Perspective

Mapping the Competitive Swimming Sports Medicine Literature: A Bibliometric Analysis of Injuries, Biomechanics, Rehabilitation, and Performance

Researchers catalogued 1,825 scientific papers on competitive swimming medicine published from 1969 onward, tracking which countries, journals, and topics dominate the field. They found output grew sharply (peaking at 95 papers in 2021), with research clustering around stroke biomechanics, training physiology, athlete monitoring, and shoulder problems like rotator cuff injury and scapular dysfunction, while injury surveillance, para and masters swimming, and return-to-sport standards remain thinly studied.

Redefining Readiness - Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Return-to-Sport Criteria.

This narrative review examined how decisions are made about when injured athletes can return to sport, pulling together evidence from sports medicine, rehab, biomechanics, and sport psychology. The authors report that return-to-sport calls are often swayed by nonclinical pressures, lack standardized benchmarks, and rarely assess psychological readiness, even though mental readiness strongly affects reinjury risk and performance.

In-season resistance training intervention improves strength and power characteristics in academy freestyle freeski athletes – a quasi-experimental study

THE IMPACT OF PADEL ON CARDIOMETABOLIC AND PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH: EVALUATING CLINICAL BENEFITS AGAINST THE RISK OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES

Simulating the Experienced Coach: An Orchestrated Multi-Agent Artificial Intelligence Architecture Decomposed by Physiological System for Continuous Athlete Monitoring

This is a design/theory paper proposing HOMEOSTAT, an AI system that splits athlete monitoring into thirteen 'agents', each mirroring a body system (cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, endocrine, etc.), coordinated by a central orchestrator that answers six coach-style questions like readiness, recovery and injury risk. The authors argue single-number readiness scores can't capture a multidimensional athlete state, but they explicitly note the architecture is only a blueprint with a proposed validation protocol and has not been tested on real athletes.

Testosterone Therapy and Tendon Injury: Clinical Evidence, Biological Mechanisms, and Sports Medicine Implications

This review gathered the existing clinical and lab evidence on whether testosterone therapy raises the risk of tendon injuries, such as distal biceps, rotator cuff, quadriceps, patellar, and Achilles tears. It reports that prescription-based studies show associations of varying size and low absolute event rates, but the data are observational and heavily confounded, so causation, dose-response, and any safer delivery method have not been established; a small increase in risk is considered plausible, especially in very active people ramping up training quickly.

AI-Driven Motion Capture for Health-Oriented Performance Analysis and Training Optimization in Boxing

Researchers put wearable motion sensors on 15 professional and 97 amateur boxers and used machine learning to predict fatigue and training load, then fed those predictions into a system that recommends training adjustments. The fatigue classifier and load model performed well (AUC 0.91 and R² 0.89), and using the recommender reportedly reduced fatigue-related overload episodes by 21.3% and injuries by 13.8%.

FMS PREDICTIVE VALIDITY & STABILITY: CRITERION (76 BASKETBALL ATHLETES) & TEST-RETEST (60 EXERCISE PARTICIPANTS)

Researchers tested whether Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores predict basketball performance in 76 national-level athletes, and how stable FMS scores are over a week in 60 exercisers split into a corrective-exercise group and a control group. FMS scores had essentially no relationship with any of the four performance measures, and while scores were very stable in the control group, they became much less consistent after corrective coaching (individual changes from -5 to +6 points).

Movement Configuration Elements in Football Players: Beyond Dynamic Correspondence Principles

This is a conceptual review arguing that classic "dynamic correspondence" ideas for choosing training exercises don't fully capture football's chaotic, unpredictable movements. The authors propose adding "movement configuration elements" \u2014 unilateral, eccentric-overload, variable and multidirectional actions plus responses to unexpected perturbations \u2014 and offer practical recommendations for in-season sessions, though no new experimental results are reported.

Analisis Kondisi Fisik Atlet Bulutangkis Putra Usia 13–17 Tahun di PB BBC Waru Sidoarjo

Researchers tested 15 male youth badminton players (ages 13–17) at an Indonesian club on seven fitness measures, including sprinting, push-ups, VO₂max, vertical jump, agility, flexibility, and balance. Endurance (93.3% good to very good), agility, and lower-body power scored well, while upper-body strength and endurance were the weak point, with 53.3% rated poor.

Multiligamentous Knee Injury in a Skeletally Immature Athlete.

This is a single case report of a 13-year-old football player who tore his ACL, PCL, and MCL plus part of the lateral meniscus, and underwent surgical reconstruction of all three ligaments followed by structured rehab focused on progressive range of motion and strength. At 18 months he was pain-free, had equal leg lengths, and had returned to competitive football.

Hamstring graft remodelling after ACL reconstruction is slower in paediatric population compared to adults.

Researchers compared MRI scans one year after ACL reconstruction with a hamstring (semitendinosus) graft in 52 children/adolescents and 59 adults, measuring graft maturity signals, tunnel widening, and patient-reported outcomes. They concluded that paediatric patients showed delayed graft remodelling compared with adults, which may help explain the higher reinjury rates seen in young athletes.

Trending Pediatric Injuries in the Overhead Athlete: A Narrative Review.

This narrative review looks at overhead-throwing injuries (like those in baseball, tennis, and volleyball) in kids and teens, whose growth plates, subchondral bone, and immature connective tissue make them prone to injuries adults don't get. The authors summarize how these injuries are diagnosed and treated, note that young athletes need more emphasis on neuromuscular rehab than adults, point out there's no consensus on using functional tests to guide return-to-play, and flag pressure from parents and coaches who may not understand safe workloads.

Standardizing Rehabilitation After Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections for Soft-Tissue Injuries

This review looked at 45 clinical trials of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for tendon, muscle, and ligament injuries, focusing on how well the rehab that followed the injection was described. PRP results were mixed o better than exercise, saline, or steroids in several high-quality trials and only about a third of studies clearly described a structured rehab program, so the authors propose a standardized, criteria-based loading protocol tied to healing phases.

Return to Sport After Surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: From Time-Based Clearance to Sport-Specific Readiness.

Sport-Specific Factors and Values Leading to Normalisation of Disordered Eating Behaviours in Elite Sport: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review pulled together 128 studies on how disordered eating gets treated as normal in elite sport. It found that disordered eating sits on a continuum from 'functional' diet practices to illness, with risk spiking around season phases, injury and team selection, and that sport values, body ideals, coach and team culture, and media scrutiny help normalise it — while stigma, 'toughness' norms, coach gatekeeping and knowledge gaps block recognition and help-seeking.

Injury prevention and athlete health-risk management in freestyle wrestling: a scoping review of direct and transferable evidence.

This scoping review gathered research published since 2021 on preventing injuries and managing health risks in freestyle and other Olympic-style wrestling, separating wrestling-specific studies from related evidence borrowed from other contexts. It found only 18 wrestling-specific sources, with inconsistent injury-tracking definitions, few screening studies that actually predicted injuries, and just one prevention trial (Wrestling+), which recorded 20 injuries versus 30 in controls, though the authors say the effect estimates were inconsistent.

Infrared thermography-monitored recovery of anterior cruciate ligament rupture in a professional soccer player: A case study

Researchers used infrared thermography (a camera that measures skin temperature) to track one professional soccer player's knee from before an ACL tear through three months after reconstruction surgery, comparing temperature differences between the injured and healthy knee. The temperature asymmetry rose sharply by the first month after surgery and then steadily declined, approaching pre-injury levels by the third postoperative month.

Functional movement screen scores and injury prevalence among collegiate basketball players: a cross-sectional analysis

Researchers tested 59 Chinese college basketball players with the seven-part Functional Movement Screen and asked about injuries over the past year, where 45.8% reported an injury. Injured players scored lower on the FMS (14.07 vs 15.44), those scoring 14 or below had about triple the odds of injury, and a cutoff of 15 or below worked best for this group, though overall accuracy was modest (AUC 0.65), with the deep squat and hurdle step being the most predictive individual tests.

Ankle muscle strength, joint hypermobility, and foot posture in children aged 5–10 years: A cross-sectional study

Researchers measured foot posture, joint flexibility/hypermobility, ankle dorsiflexion range, and ankle strength in 196 healthy children aged 5-10 to see how these traits relate. They found ankle strength was not associated with foot posture, ankle dorsiflexion range, or general hypermobility (Beighton score); only lower-limb-specific hypermobility measures showed weak links, and most faded after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI.

A Biopsychosocial Model of Athlete Performance: Integrating Psychological Skills, Coaching Competence, Nutritional Readiness and Well-Being Among Nigerian University Athletes

Researchers surveyed 149 university athletes in Nigeria to see how psychological skills, coaching quality, nutritional readiness and general well-being related to their self-reported competitive performance. Together these four factors explained about 61% of the differences in performance, with coaching competence the strongest single contributor, followed by well-being, mental skills and nutrition.

Impact of Combined Core Strength, Balance and Visual Skill Training on Selected Skill-Related Physical Fitness and Performance Variables of School-Level Badminton Players in Tirupathur District: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Researchers gave school-age badminton players in Tamil Nadu a 12-week programme combining core strength, balance, and visual (eye-tracking/coordination) training, then compared them with players doing their usual training. The trained group showed greater gains in agility, dynamic balance, explosive power, eye-hand coordination, and badminton skill performance than the control group.

Changes in ACL T2* Metrics Over the Course of the Female Menstrual Cycle: A New Biomarker for the ACL Injury Risk?

Researchers used a specialized MRI technique to scan the ACL of 25 women four times across a month, comparing 10 women with normal ovulatory cycles to 15 women who weren't ovulating (postmenopausal or on oral contraceptives). Women with normal cycles showed a significant change in ACL MRI signal (related to water content and collagen structure) from before to after ovulation, while the non-ovulating group showed no changes over time.

Effects of plyometric and core training on swimming performance in prepubescent swimmers

Researchers had 30 prepubescent swimmers do eight weeks of land-based training on top of their normal pool work: one group did plyometrics, one did plyometrics plus core work, and one just swam as usual. Both training groups improved sprint times at 15 m, 25 m, and 50 m in all four strokes, plus core strength and vertical jump, while anaerobic power rose only in the plyometrics-only group and the control group showed no changes.

Correction: Biomechanical coordination and variability alters following repetitive movement fatigue in overhead athletes with painful shoulder.

This is a correction notice for a published paper on how fatigue from repetitive overhead movement changes shoulder coordination and movement variability in overhead athletes with shoulder pain. No abstract or results are available, so the study's findings can't be summarized here.

Partial Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears in Adolescents: Are We Overtreating Them or Underestimating Who Should Not Wait?

This review examines how doctors decide whether adolescents with partial ACL tears need surgery or can rehab conservatively. It reports that roughly 25-39% of teens treated without surgery in observational studies go on to develop knee instability or need delayed reconstruction, and that no validated tools currently exist to predict who will fail conservative treatment; the authors argue decisions should rest on functional testing, skeletal maturity, and sport demands rather than MRI appearance alone.

The relationship between mental toughness, stress, and mindfulness in climbers

Researchers surveyed 150 active climbers to see how mental toughness, mindfulness, and perceived stress relate to one another. Climbers who scored higher on mental toughness and mindfulness reported lower stress, and mindfulness amplified the stress-lowering effect of mental toughness.

Auditory-cued terminal knee extension enhances vastus medialis motor unit function in the early phase following ACL reconstruction: a randomized controlled trial

Researchers tested whether adding a rhythmic auditory cue (like a beep to time each rep) to terminal knee extension exercises changed inner-quad (vastus medialis) nerve-muscle activity in people two weeks after ACL reconstruction. In the 20 participants analyzed, the cued group showed significantly bigger increases in motor unit action potential size and muscle activity, plus a rise in firing rate, while the uncued group did not — though this was only a single session with immediate measurements.

Peroneal Reaction-Time Demonstrates a Greater Influence Than Peroneal Muscle Strength on Lateral Ankle Ligament Strain in People With Chronic Ankle Instability.

Researchers compared 35 people with chronic ankle instability to 35 without, measuring how fast their peroneal (outer-shin) muscles react to a sudden ankle tilt, how strong those muscles are, and how much strain their lateral ankle ligaments took during a drop landing. Slower reaction time and weaker muscles were both linked to greater strain on the ATFL ligament, but reaction time was the stronger predictor, especially in the unstable-ankle group.

User-Centered Design and Evaluation of a "Lehuo Pingpang" Exergame for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Cross-Sectional Convergent Mixed Methods Study.

Researchers designed a virtual-reality table tennis exergame ("Lehuo Pingpang") specifically for older adults with mild cognitive impairment, then tested it with 12 people aged 60+. Usability scores were good (mean 79 on the System Usability Scale) and users praised the simple controls and safety features, but interviews revealed only moderate interest in long-term use due to VR dizziness, facial pressure from the headset, small buttons, and confusing controllers.

Epidemiology and mechanisms of tennis-related ankle and foot injuries presenting to United States emergency departments: A 10-year national analysis (2015-2024)

Researchers reviewed 10 years of US emergency-room records (2015-2024) to see what kinds of ankle and foot injuries tennis players show up with, estimating about 22,500 national visits. Nearly three-quarters involved the ankle, sprains and strains were the most common diagnosis, and most injuries happened through sudden non-contact movements rather than falls or collisions, with almost all patients treated and sent home.

Effective Playing Time in Women’s Collegiate Volleyball

Researchers tracked 14 women's collegiate volleyball matches (49 sets, over 2,000 points) to measure how much of a match is actual play versus rest, plus rally length, touches, and work-to-rest ratios. Effective playing time was significantly higher in the third and fourth sets than the first two, with rally duration, touches, and three-pass sequences trending upward in later sets.

Autonomic Nervous System Responses to Rest and Exertion Following Concussion (the Measuring ANSWERS Study): Protocol for a 2-Aim Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Observational Study

This is a study protocol (plan), not results: researchers describe how they will measure autonomic nervous system function \and ppillary light reflex, at rest and after exertion in military service members and college club athletes with and without concussion history. It also follows 50 concussed athletes and 50 matched controls from injury through symptom resolution and return to activity; no findings are reported yet, with results expected in late 2027.

Exploratory proteomic biomarker combinations associated with post-concussion symptoms following a concussion in adolescents

Researchers took blood samples from 155 concussed adolescents 7 to 35 days after injury and checked whether protein markers could predict who would still have significant symptoms three months later. The well-known brain injury markers (GFAP, NFL, UCH-L1, tau, p-tau) showed no difference between kids with high versus low lingering symptoms, but an exploratory eight-protein combination separated the two groups reasonably well (AUC 0.86) in cross-validation.

Run Smart, Run Strong: Exploring the Role of Physiotherapy in Running Load Management and Injury Prevention Among Recreational Runners

This narrative review pulled together six randomized trials on recreational runners to see whether physiotherapy-style exercise and smarter training-load management reduce running injuries and improve performance. It reported that a multi-component exercise programme cut overall and overuse running injuries, HIIT and plyometrics improved power, sprint speed and agility, while isolated hip/core or ankle/foot drills produced only small biomechanical changes with no clear clinical benefit.

Acute effects of the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (STST) on immune-metabolic stress indices

Researchers had 28 healthy adults do a 1-minute sit-to-stand test and took fingertip blood samples before, right after, and for 45 minutes afterward to track lactate, glucose, and immune cell counts. The single minute of effort pushed lactate above the anaerobic threshold (>4 mmol/L) and significantly raised white blood cell, lymphocyte, and granulocyte counts, with leukocytes returning to baseline within 30 minutes while granulocytes stayed elevated; lactate changes tracked with the immune cell changes.

Association Between Core Endurance , Flexibility and Balance and their Interrelationship among Bharatanatyam Dancers: A Rapid Review

This rapid review gathered existing studies on core endurance, flexibility, and balance in Bharatanatyam dancers, an Indian classical dance form demanding strength, stability, and range of motion. The reviewed studies suggest dancers outperform non-dancers on these measures and that greater core endurance is linked to better balance and postural control, though inconsistent testing methods across studies made direct comparisons difficult.

Implementation Challenges and Enablers of Wearable Health Technologies in Physiotherapy Among English-Speaking Participants in India: A Qualitative Study

Researchers surveyed 62 practicing physiotherapists in India (via an English-language online questionnaire) about what helps or hinders using wearable health devices like activity and movement trackers in clinical practice. Therapists saw real potential for wearables to improve care and personalise treatment, but flagged limited time, lack of training, poor market access, data privacy and reliability concerns, and high cost as the main barriers.

Proteomic analysis of human chronic traumatic encephalopathy brain implicates proteasome and ribosome dysfunction in disease severity

Researchers measured about 7,000 proteins in 204 donated brain samples from the Boston University CTE Center Brain Bank to see which molecular changes track with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, tau pathology, dementia, and years of contact sport play. They found that proteasome-related proteins (the cell's protein-disposal system) were strongly linked to CTE severity and to more years of contact sports, that lower levels of ribosomal proteins tracked with tau buildup, and that MAPK cell-signaling pathways were altered.

Predicting athletic performance in track and field athletes based on wearable physiological and psychological indicators: an interpretable machine learning study

Researchers tracked 132 track-and-field athletes for about 14 weeks, using wearable data (heart rate variability, resting heart rate, sleep, training load) plus psychological measures (anxiety, self-efficacy) to predict how each athlete's performance would change the following week. A machine-learning model combining both types of data predicted weekly performance change better than physiological monitoring alone, and psychological readiness—especially self-efficacy—mattered most for technical events, though much of the model's accuracy came simply from knowing an athlete's competitive level.

Clinical Limitations of Oral Contraceptives in the Management of Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea in Female Athletes

This review examined whether birth control pills are a good way to protect bone health in female athletes who have lost their periods due to low energy availability (functional hypothalamic amenorrhea). It reports that the pill creates a withdrawal bleed without actually restoring normal hormonal function, which can hide an ongoing energy deficit, and that oral estrogen may lower IGF-1 and blunt bone benefits, whereas transdermal (patch) estradiol avoids liver first-pass metabolism and preserves IGF-1.

Evaluation of GFAP, UCH-L1 and S100B Blood Biomarkers for the Management of Sports-Related Concussion in Professional Rugby Players: A Prospective Observational Study

Researchers tracked 68 elite French rugby players over two seasons, measuring three brain-injury blood markers (GFAP, UCH-L1, S100B) at baseline, after matches, and after 23 suspected concussions. S100B and UCH-L1 rose 2 hours after normal matches in line with how many contacts a player had, but all markers returned to baseline by 36 hours; at 36 hours, a rise in S100B or elevated GFAP flagged concussion with 100% specificity but low sensitivity (52% combined).

Acute:chronic workload ratio and load management for team sports: a multilevel meta-analysis

Researchers pooled 41 studies (16 in the meta-analysis, 797 team-sport athletes) on the acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) — recent training load compared with your longer-term average — and injury risk. Spikes in ACWR showed a small-to-moderate link with higher injury risk (g = 0.35), but results varied hugely between studies and were not significant for time-loss injuries, so the authors say ACWR shouldn't be used alone to predict injuries.

Analysis of the Swedish Knee Ligament Registry Shows Similar Anterior Cruciate Ligament Revision Rates Between Hamstring Tendon and Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Autografts in Young Males.

Researchers used Sweden's national knee ligament registry to compare over 10,000 young men (16-25) who had ACL reconstruction using either a hamstring tendon graft or a patellar tendon graft, tracking re-operation (revision) rates and self-reported knee function for five years. Revision rates were statistically similar (7.3% hamstring vs 5.4% patellar, a non-significant trend toward more revisions with hamstring), and hamstring patients reported better sport/recreation and overall knee scores at 1-2 years, but that advantage disappeared by 5 years.

High incidence of one-year stiffness and frequent secondary surgery after arthroscopic synovectomy for native knee septic arthritis.

Researchers reviewed 82 adults who had keyhole surgery to clean out a bacterial infection in their own (non-replaced) knee joint, then tracked how well the knee moved a year later. Even though the infections were cured, about 61% had significant stiffness at one year, 38% needed another (non-infection) operation, and those with stiffness reported notably worse knee function scores.

Comparison of the PIVOT App and Pivot Shift Test for Assessing Knee Laxity after ACL Injury: Validity and Impact of Thigh Muscle Coactivity.

Researchers tested a tablet app (PIVOT App) that uses video analysis to objectively measure the pivot shift test, a manual exam used to check for ACL (knee ligament) instability, in ACL-injured patients and uninjured controls, while also recording thigh muscle activity with EMG. The app's measurements of tibial movement increased steadily across the examiner-assigned pivot shift grades, and the authors concluded it is a promising noninvasive way to grade knee laxity objectively.

Using Machine Learning to Explain Recreational Running Injury: An Exploratory Classification Analysis.

Researchers fed smartwatch data (heart rate, motion, GPS) from 4,758 runs by 80 recreational runners into seven machine learning models to see which could best flag runs belonging to injured runners. Boosting models performed best (CatBoost classified runs from injured groups correctly 96% of the time), and 'critical power' was the most important factor, with higher values associated with a greater chance of a run being classified as from the injured group.

Psychological Readiness and Kinesiophobia Are Not Associated With Effusion-Synovitis in Early Recovery After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Researchers used ultrasound to measure knee swelling (effusion-synovitis) in 52 people 4 to 6 months after ACL reconstruction, then compared their scores on questionnaires about fear of movement and psychological readiness to return to sport. People with moderate or severe swelling scored no differently than those with little or no swelling on either psychological measure.

Achilles Tendon Structure, Ankle Sprains and Instability in Soldiers: A Controlled Intervention Study.

Researchers tracked Achilles tendon structure (using ultrasound measures of disorganized tendon fibers) in 387 male military recruits over 12 weeks of infantry training, comparing 160 who did a short 5-minute injury-prevention exercise program five times a week against 227 who just did their usual fitness training. Tendon structure improved in the intervention group, while recruits with pre-existing chronic ankle instability or who sprained an ankle during training were more likely to show disorganized tendon fibers beforehand.

Association Between Ankle Sprains and Functional Performance During Infantry Training: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Researchers tracked 179 male army recruits over 5.5 months of basic training, testing agility, calf strength, balance, proprioception, running, and perceived ankle stability at three time points. Recruits who sprained an ankle early in training (29% of them) showed different trajectories over time in agility, calf strength, dynamic balance, and perceived ankle instability, with the authors concluding these functional deficits persisted for months.

Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries In Female Wrestling

This review pooled ten studies to map how often female wrestlers get hurt and where. Injury rates ranged from about 4.3 per 1000 training hours to 16.8 per 1000 athlete-exposures, with arms and legs accounting for most injuries (shoulder/upper arm leading among extremity injuries); upper-limb injuries dominated in youth wrestlers while lower-limb injuries dominated in elite athletes, and most injuries were mild joint or muscle problems.

The effects of mini-trampoline-Theraband and balance board-Theraband training on balance, fear of falling, functional strength and gait speed in older adults men.

Researchers split 36 older men into three groups: mini-trampoline plus resistance-band training, balance-board plus resistance-band training, or no training, and tested balance, fear of falling, leg strength, and walking speed before and after 8 weeks. Both training groups improved significantly on all four measures compared with the untrained control group.

Morphological and functional variability of ramp lesions influences surgical management during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A national registry study of the French Arthroscopic Society.

Using a French national arthroscopy registry of 449 patients having ACL reconstruction with a 'ramp' tear (a tear where the inner knee meniscus meets its capsule), surgeons recorded how the lesion was spotted, its type, how loose the meniscus was, and how it was repaired. Most tears were found by looking through the notch of the knee (sometimes with probing from behind), nearly 80% showed abnormal meniscal movement, and the lesion type tracked with both mobility and the repair chosen, with suture-hook repair through a posteromedial portal the most common technique.

Achilles Tendon Rupture Repaired With TeKBrace Augmentation: A Case Report.

This is a single-patient case report of a 36-year-old recreational athlete whose ruptured Achilles tendon was surgically repaired with a woven polyester mesh (TeKBrace) added to reinforce the repair, chosen because the tendon tissue looked degenerated and gapped under tension. By 6 months he had symmetric ankle motion and about 90% of the calf push-off strength of his other leg, and by 9 months he was back to recreational basketball pain-free with no re-rupture.

Clinically driven recovery from a biceps femoris T-junction injury: a case report.

This is a single case report of a 25-year-old footballer with a hamstring (distal biceps femoris T-junction) tear whose rehab was guided only by clinical tests, with the ultrasound results deliberately hidden from the physio and player. Pain and mobility improved over the first month, he returned to full training at 39 days and to play at 70 days, then finished the season without re-injury.

Examining Sex-Based Inequities in Pediatric Sports Medicine Research: A Systematic Review.

Researchers manually reviewed 409 studies of youth athletes published from 2020 to 2024 in 12 leading sports medicine journals to see how often male versus female athletes were included. About 30% of studies enrolled only males versus 10% only females, and participants were a median of 61% male and 39% female, with the imbalance being even larger in single-sport studies and higher-quality study designs.

Independent Predictors of Mental Health and Quality of Life in Elite Youth Soccer Players.

Researchers surveyed 668 elite youth soccer players aged 13-18 to see which factors predicted anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Older age, female sex, past injury, and shorter sleep independently predicted more anxiety and depression, while older age, past injury, less sleep, and a stronger athletic identity predicted lower quality of life \u2014 with sleep standing out as the biggest factor athletes can actually change.

Efficacy of Psychological self-monitoring and goal-setting Intervention in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Rehabilitation mid-phase: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This small randomized trial (12 patients) tested whether adding a 4-week psychological program — goal setting, positive self-talk, and imagery — to mid-phase ACL reconstruction rehab improves fear of movement, psychological readiness, and adherence compared with standard physical therapy. The abstract reports no actual results, only the authors' conclusion that such mental-skills training may better align physical recovery with mental readiness for return to sport.

Distinct self-regulation patterns differentiate runners by recent injury history and current injury status: A cross-sectional study of Australian runners

Researchers surveyed 335 Australian runners and sorted them into four groups based on how recently they'd been injured, then compared their mental strategies, passion for running, and how they respond to pain. Runners who were currently or recently injured reported higher physical and emotional demands, more anxious overthinking, and less helpful pain responses, while never-injured runners had lower demands, more mental resources, fewer negative pain reactions, and more running experience.

Rethinking Development ‘Of’ and ‘Through’ Sport: A Critical Analysis of Key Conceptual and Pedagogical Approaches for Sport as a Tool for Addressing Young People’s Intersection with Criminogenic Harms

This is a review paper (not a training study) examining how sport programmes are used in youth justice to reduce offending, comparing 'development of sport' approaches (building sporting skill) with 'development through sport' approaches (using sport to build life skills). The authors report that such programmes can yield side benefits like improved sport skills, team bonds, social-cognitive skills and self-efficacy, but argue that top-down, heavily professionalised models are less valuable than community-led programmes that treat sport as a safe space for natural development.

The Criteria and Design for Return-to-Play Following Muscle Injury in Football are Not Standardized: A Systematic Review Including Descriptive Analysis of RTP Criteria Distribution and Study Design Heterogeneity.

Researchers reviewed 10 studies on how footballers are cleared to return to play after muscle injuries, cataloguing the criteria used and how consistent the research is. They found a median of six criteria per study — most often no pain, at least 90% strength symmetry between legs, and passing functional tests — with psychological readiness and GPS load monitoring appearing only in more recent, individualized frameworks; overall the criteria came from expert consensus rather than validated outcome data, and reinjury rates were rarely reported.

Disturbed multi-planar muscular support of the knee after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Researchers compared how leg muscles support the knee during a planned sidestep cut in 11 people who had ACL reconstruction (using hamstring grafts) versus 11 healthy matched people, using motion capture, force plates, EMG and computer muscle modelling. The ACL-reconstructed group showed less hamstring contribution to protective posterior knee force and greater quadriceps contributions to valgus and external rotation moments, suggesting lasting changes in how muscles stabilise the knee in multiple planes.

Bone stress fractures and injuries of the upper limb in athletes.

This narrative review pulls together what's known about stress fractures in the upper body (shoulder, arm, forearm, wrist, hand), which are much rarer than leg stress fractures and often missed because symptoms are vague. It reports that these injuries develop when repeated loading outpaces bone adaptation, that X-rays are often normal early while MRI picks up early stress reactions, and that treatment usually means reducing load, sometimes immobilizing, rehab, and fixing training or technique contributors, with surgery only for select cases.

The Global Physical Literacy Action Framework: Process and Outcomes.

Researchers ran a Delphi consensus study with 90 physical literacy experts and organization representatives from 46 countries to build a global roadmap for the field. Their ideas clustered into five themes — advocacy, practice, education, assessment and research — with agreed recommendations such as defining a core set of physical literacy principles, aligning PE curricula with them, and measuring physical literacy at the population level.

Understanding Anterior Cruciate Ligament Adaptation: Structural, Mechanical, and Healing Considerations.

This narrative review pulls together animal and human evidence showing the ACL isn't just a passive rope in the knee — it remodels in response to the loads you place on it, influenced by training type, sex, maturation stage, and blood supply. The authors report that endurance and resistance training can increase ligament stiffness, strength and cross-sectional area, that athletes who start heavy training in adolescence show ligament hypertrophy, and that both chronic underloading and chaotic overload raise injury risk.

Isokinetic Strength Asymmetries of Trunk Rotation and Knee Joint in Adolescent Female Amateur Boxers: Implications for Injury Prevention

Researchers tested 16 adolescent female amateur boxers on an isokinetic dynamometer, measuring trunk rotation strength and knee concentric/eccentric strength at three speeds. They found side-to-side imbalances favoring the dominant side in trunk rotation (especially at faster speeds) and in eccentric knee strength, plus relatively low lower-limb strength overall, which the authors suggest may raise low-back and knee injury risk.

Modified Postoperative Rehabilitation Including Dynamic Posterior Cruciate Ligament Brace to Reduce Recurrence of Posterior Tibial Translation After Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study.

Researchers compared two rehab approaches in 25 patients after double-bundle PCL reconstruction surgery: conventional rehab versus a modified protocol using a dynamic PCL brace to protect the graft. Both groups had similar knee alignment right after surgery, but from 3 months to 2 years the braced group had significantly less backward slippage of the shin bone, with no extra complications and a trend toward better sports-related scores.

Two-stage posture enhancement and stability modelling for pre-fall risk detection in athletic movements

Researchers built a two-part AI system that cleans up 3D body-skeleton data extracted from ordinary single-camera video and then uses stability measures like trunk lean angle, step frequency variation, and stride variability to flag the moments just before an athlete falls. Tested on annotated fall clips from a public video dataset, the cleanup step made skeleton tracking smoother and more anatomically plausible, and those improved skeletons led to more reliable pre-fall risk predictions.

Pain and injury prevalence and their associations with psychosocial and motivational factors in amateur beach tennis players: a cross-sectional study

Researchers surveyed 64 adult amateur beach tennis players about pain, injuries, mood (stress, anxiety, depression), and their reasons for playing. About a third reported a beach tennis injury, most often at the elbow, shoulder, or ankle; psychological and motivational factors weren't linked to injury, but more years of playing was associated with slightly higher injury odds.

Trends, impact, and future directions of ankle injury research in soccer players: A bibliometric analysis

Researchers mapped the published scientific literature on ankle injuries in soccer players from 1983 to 2024, counting papers, countries, institutions, journals, and trending topics rather than testing any training method. They found research output has grown a lot, is led by the US, and that recent studies increasingly focus on risk factors, injury management, and balance — signaling a shift toward prevention and rehab.

The association between GPS-derived external workload metrics and soleus muscle injuries in professional football (soccer) players

Researchers tracked seven seasons of GPS data from an Italian Serie A squad to see whether spikes in running workload preceded soleus (lower calf) muscle injuries. They found 29 such injuries, mostly in training and in older players, with no acute workload spike beforehand; instead, injured players had done 37% less sprinting over the prior month and slightly more deceleration distance (+17%) in the prior week than uninjured teammates.

Baseline Error Performance and Reliability of a Wheelchair Balance Task in Para Sport Athletes.

Researchers had 25 collegiate para sport athletes balance on their back wheels (a "wheelie") with eyes open and closed, both alone and while doing a second mental task, then retested them at 1 week and 45 days. Adding the second task increased balance errors in the eyes-closed position at the retests (though not at baseline), and test-to-test consistency was only fair to moderate.

The effect of rapid expansion and contraction composite training on dynamic posture control and landing biomechanics of athletes with chronic ankle instability

Researchers randomly assigned 56 athletes with chronic ankle instability to either 8 weeks of plyometric (stretch-shortening cycle) training three times per week or standard rehab. The plyometric group improved more in balance (Y balance test, especially reaching backward-inward), self-reported ankle stability (CAIT), and landing mechanics, with lower peak vertical ground reaction force and loading rate, with no serious adverse events.

Coaches’ perceptions of injuries in women’s football

Researchers surveyed 21 qualified coaches in UK senior non-elite women's football about what injuries they see and what they think causes them. Coaches most often reported muscle strains/tears and ligament sprains/tears, mainly at the knee, ankle and hamstring, occurring largely during matches and change-of-direction movements, with previous injury and playing surface seen as key risk factors; notably, 43% dismissed or were unsure about the menstrual cycle's role in injury risk.

Determination of the Body Segmental Muscle Mass Asymmetry among Boxers in Manipur: A Cross-Sectional Study

Researchers used bioelectrical impedance body scans to measure muscle mass in each limb of 47 elite boxers (aged 18-35) at a training center in Manipur, India. Nearly 45% showed uneven muscle mass between their arms (averaging about 6% difference), compared with 19% showing leg asymmetry (about 3% difference), and the arm imbalance wasn't linked to gender or which hand they punched with.

Differential Quadriceps Muscle Activation Preoperatively and at the Time of Return to Sport After Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction.

Researchers used surface EMG during bodyweight squats to compare muscle activation between the injured and healthy legs in adolescents with kneecap (patellofemoral) instability, both before MPFL reconstruction surgery and again when cleared to return to sport. Before surgery, the injured leg's rectus femoris fired 40% less than the other leg; at return-to-sport, the vastus medialis fired 73% less on the injured side, suggesting a lingering imbalance despite completing rehab.

The Effects of Movement-Based Exercises Combined with Respiratory Techniques on the Thoracic Kyphosis Angle in Individuals with Thoracic Hyperkyphosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This review pooled five studies (247 people) testing whether adding breathing techniques to posture-correcting exercise reduces excessive upper-back rounding (thoracic hyperkyphosis) more than exercise alone. The combined approach produced a significant improvement in thoracic kyphosis angle (moderate-strength evidence), with a clear benefit in adolescents but no significant effect in older adults.

Effects of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy on Pain in Individuals with Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome

This small randomized trial gave 30 people with shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome) either standard physiotherapy alone or physiotherapy plus extracorporeal shockwave therapy, a non-invasive treatment that pulses sound waves into the sore tissue. The shockwave group improved significantly more in pain ratings and lower-limb function scores than the physiotherapy-only group.

Return to sport after acute patellar tendon repair: identifying key prognostic factors.

Researchers followed 46 adults who had surgery to repair a completely torn patellar tendon, tracking whether and when they got back to sport. About 87% returned to sport at an average of just under 6 months, with higher BMI linked to slower and less likely return, while the specific surgical technique (suture anchors vs. transosseous tunnels) showed no significant difference in outcomes.

Sport Injury Profile and Influence of Playing Position in Egyptian Professional Soccer Players: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Researchers tracked 384 professional soccer players across 12 Egyptian clubs for the 2022-2023 season, logging playing time and all time-loss injuries by position. They recorded 422 injuries (2.36 per 1000 player-hours) with no significant difference in injury rate between positions, but the type of injury differed: goalkeepers had more contact, upper-limb/head and soft-tissue injuries, midfielders had more overstretch injuries with shorter time out, and forwards had more severe injuries.

Muscle function of the lower limb-Do we really test what we are looking for?

This is a perspective/opinion piece arguing that standard lower-limb strength tests (like max force or torque measures) have consistently shown weak or no ability to predict injuries, re-injuries and other musculoskeletal problems. The authors propose that assessments should instead measure 'Adaptive Force' a a joint position while an external load progressively increases, since that better reflects the stabilising control needed to avoid non-contact injuries.

Variability in United States online rehabilitation protocols after open and endoscopic hip abductor repair.

Researchers gathered 54 publicly available U.S. rehab protocols for hip abductor (gluteus medius/minimus) tendon repair and compared their contents and timelines. Most agreed on limiting weight-bearing for about 6 weeks and avoiding active hip abduction and passive adduction, but they differed widely on bracing, strengthening progressions, functional testing, and return-to-sport timing (median 16 weeks, range 12–24).

Accelerated Return to Competition Following a Full-Thickness Abdominal Wall Tear in an Elite Sprinter: A Data-informed Case Report.

This is a single-athlete case report describing how an elite 22-year-old sprinter rehabbed a rare full-thickness tear of all three lateral abdominal wall muscles suffered during block starts. Rehab began two days after injury and used early loading plus objective trunk force and sprint kinematic testing rather than fixed timelines; the sprinter was pain-free sprinting by day 16, training fully by day 18, and ran a personal best of 10.08s in competition on day 28, though some trunk force asymmetries persisted.

Medial Subtalar Joint Dislocation in an 18-Year-Old Athlete with Pes Planus: Beyond A Simple Misstep.

This is a single case report of an 18-year-old basketball player who dislocated his subtalar joint (the joint below the ankle) after twisting his foot inward. He was treated within two hours by closed reduction, wire stabilization, and splinting; the authors emphasize identifying the injury mechanism and addressing leftover instability promptly.

Knowledge-based sports medicine certification in Japan: current status and gaps among stakeholders.

Researchers analyzed results from over 18,000 people who took Japan's Sports Medicine Certification Examination between 2017 and 2024, comparing scores across medical professionals, coaches, athletes, and parents. Medical professionals consistently scored highest, and the authors concluded that meaningful sports medicine knowledge gaps remain among non-medical stakeholders such as coaches and athletes.

Growth and Maturation Assessment in Youth Sport: Balancing Benefits and Risks.

This narrative review weighs the pros and cons of measuring growth and maturation (height, weight, maturity status) in young athletes, given worries that weighing kids could fuel body image issues or eating disorders. The authors conclude that the measurements themselves aren't the problem — harm comes from how results are communicated and the surrounding coaching culture — and that such assessment helps prevent growth-related injuries, tailor training to biological age, and avoid unfairly overlooking late-maturing athletes.

Assessment of sports training knowledge among amateur sportspersons: A cross-sectional study

Researchers surveyed 60 amateur athletes from five sports using a questionnaire covering seven training topics, including fitness components, warm-up, cool-down, and injury management. Knowledge varied by topic: participants scored better on training professionals and exercise training, but worse on fitness components and injury management, leaving notable gaps overall.

Investigating the Perspectives of Preceptors in Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinical Practice in Ghana: A Qualitative Study

Researchers interviewed 17 clinical teachers (preceptors) who train sports and exercise medicine students in Ghana to learn how they view their role and what gets in their way. They described SEM as preventive and rehabilitative care, and reported strong personal motivation to teach but major obstacles: scarce resources, no formal training in teaching, weak institutional coordination, and little financial support or recognition.

Triple Achilles Tendon Injury With Distal Avulsion, Proximal Rupture and Longitudinal Split in a Parkour Athlete: Case Report

This is a single case report of a parkour athlete who suffered an unusual Achilles tendon injury involving three problems at once: a tear-away at the heel attachment, a rupture higher up, and a lengthwise split. The authors emphasize that taking a careful history of how the injury happened helps clinicians recognize atypical injury patterns and plan surgery that restores normal anatomy and function; no performance or training outcomes are reported.

Examining Neuromuscular and Cortical Activity Over 1 Year Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Researchers tracked 31 people for a year after ACL reconstruction surgery, measuring muscle activity (EMG) and brain activity (EEG) during a knee position-sense test, stair descent, and single-leg hopping, and compared them to 31 healthy people. Muscle activation patterns stayed abnormal in both the surgical and non-surgical legs at every checkpoint through 12 months, while no differences in brain activity were detected during the position-sense test.

CT-Based Tunnel Position Analysis and its Correlation with Residual Instability after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Researchers used post-surgery CT scans of 50 people who had ACL reconstruction to check exactly where the surgeon drilled the bone tunnels in the thigh bone and shin bone, then tested each knee for looseness. About 36% still had some instability, and poorly placed tunnels — especially on the femoral (thigh) side — were much more common in those unstable knees, with both tunnels misplaced being the worst case.

Advances in Biological Augmentation for Muscle and Tendon Repair: Regenerative and Reconstructive Approaches in Elite Sports Medicine

This narrative review surveyed the science behind "biological augmentation" treatments — platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow concentrate, stem cells, exosomes, and engineered tissue scaffolds — for muscle and tendon injuries in elite athletes. The authors report that PRP is by far the most studied option, while cell-based, biomaterial, and exosome therapies look promising but still lack solid clinical validation, and that study methods vary too much to set standard protocols.

AI-POWERED SMART FOOTBALL PLAYER PERFORMANCE MONITORING USING IOT WEARABLE SENSORS: A SECONDARY RESEARCH STUDY

This is a literature review that gathers existing research on combining wearable IoT sensors with artificial intelligence to monitor football players' physiology, movement, training load, and injury risk. It aims to map out what technologies exist, how they're used, their strengths and limitations, and future directions, but the abstract reports no specific findings or conclusions.

Imaging characterization of sports-related hamstring injuries

This is a review article covering how hamstring injuries show up on MRI, from common muscle strains to rarer complete tendon avulsions, in sports involving sprinting and rapid direction changes. It also reviews the competing systems for classifying muscle injuries, noting that no single standard is universally accepted, and discusses healing, re-injury risk, and factors affecting return to play.

Psychological Experiences and Readiness to Return to Sport During ACL Rehabilitation in Futsal Players: A Qualitative Multiple-Case Study

Researchers interviewed eight futsal players recovering from ACL injuries and five physiotherapists to understand the psychological side of rehab and returning to play. Common struggles included fear of re-injury, frustration, uncertainty, dips in motivation and confidence, while progressive goal-setting, individualized rehab, and support from physios, family, and teammates helped; seven of the eight athletes thought formal psychological support would be useful.

Impacts of ankle sprain on functional performance in under-20 soccer players: a cross-sectional study.

Researchers compared 75 male under-20 soccer players in Brazil with and without a past lateral ankle sprain using tests of ankle stability, self-reported function, dorsiflexion range, dynamic balance (Y-Balance), and hopping performance. Players with a sprain history scored worse across the board: less perceived stability and function, reduced ankle dorsiflexion, poorer dynamic balance, and weaker hop test results.

MERItest<sup>TM</sup>-A multidimensional model for functional evaluation at 6 months after ACL reconstruction.

This paper proposes MERItest, a framework for assessing athletes six months after ACL reconstruction that combines isometric strength tests, 3D biomechanical analysis of jumping, hopping and running, and a psychological readiness questionnaire (ACL-RSI). It is a conceptual model (Level V evidence) rather than a study with results, arguing that common single measures like hop distance or limb symmetry miss residual movement and confidence deficits; the authors note it still needs prospective validation.

Interpretable multimodal machine learning for injury risk stratification in adolescent athletes: integrating kinematic, physiological, and load data with SHAP/LIME explainability.

Researchers combined movement (kinematic), physiological, and training-load data from 320 adolescent athletes and tested ten machine-learning models to classify lower-limb injury risk. A simple logistic regression performed best (86.9% accuracy), and interpretability tools consistently flagged peak hip adduction angle, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, and dynamic knee valgus as the top risk indicators, though the risk labels came from a composite score rather than actual tracked injuries.

Static Stretching and Human Movement: An Integrative Biomechanical Framework

This review pulled together research on how static stretching affects the body, from muscle tissue stiffness up to whole-body movement like jumping and balance. It reports that regular static stretching reliably increases range of motion and lowers passive stiffness, that long single stretching bouts can temporarily reduce maximal force while long-term stretching programs have neutral or slightly positive effects on strength, and that effects on power, jumping, landing, and balance are inconsistent and depend on neural and task-specific factors.

Epidemiology of Achilles tendon ruptures in the United States: 2019 to 2024.

Researchers used a national emergency-department injury database to count Achilles tendon ruptures in the US from 2019 to 2024 and to see who was getting hurt and how. They estimated about 31,549 ruptures over that period, with men aged 20-39 playing recreational sports at highest risk and basketball accounting for most male ruptures (the abstract's detailed numbers are truncated).

Generative artificial intelligence and large language models in sports medicine: a scoping review of applications, accuracy, and ethical implications.

This scoping review gathered 32 studies on how generative AI tools like ChatGPT are being used in sports medicine, covering training prescription, nutrition, rehab, mental health, clinical decisions, academic writing, and ethics. Accuracy was inconsistent dash outperforming in some areas (GPT-4 scored acceptable validity for jet lag advice, GPT-3.5 did not for sleep guidance), and the authors concluded AI may help as a supervised support tool but is not reliable for unsupervised clinical use.

Comparative Analysis Through Plantar Pressure System Between Open Kinetic Chain & Close Kinetic Chain Exercise In Ankle Rehabilitation For Athletes To Improve Recovery And Injury Prevention

Researchers compared two ankle rehab approaches in 30 athletes (ages 18-35) recovering from ankle soft-tissue injuries: open kinetic chain exercises (non-weight-bearing, like resistance band ankle moves) versus closed kinetic chain exercises (weight-bearing, foot planted), done five times a week for six weeks. Both groups significantly improved foot/ankle function scores and plantar pressure distribution, but the closed kinetic chain group showed larger gains across most measures, including balance and gait stability.

Development of an Intervention Model for Sports Injury Prevention Behaviors in Male Bodybuilders: A KAP Theory Perspective

Researchers surveyed 434 male bodybuilders about their knowledge, attitudes, and actual practices around preventing training injuries. Knowledge scored lowest of the three, lifters with past injuries had weaker knowledge and attitudes, and attitude both predicted prevention behavior and partly explained how knowledge translated into practice, leading the authors to propose a four-stage education model.

Effect Of Passive Stretching Versus Myofascial Release Of Quadratus Lumborum And Adductors On Hip Joint Mobility And Sport Performance In Athletes: A Comparative Study

Sixty athletes were split into two groups and did either passive stretching or myofascial release on the quadratus lumborum and adductors, five days a week for four weeks, with hip range of motion and self-rated sport performance measured. Both groups improved, but the myofascial release group gained significantly more hip flexion, abduction, internal rotation, and better performance scores.

Clinical and biomechanical recovery trajectories during anti-gravity treadmill-assisted rehabilitation after complex lower-limb articular fractures: a prospective pilot cohort study.

Researchers followed 17 adults for six months after surgery for severe tibial plateau or pilon (ankle) fractures, using an anti-gravity treadmill program that reduces body weight during walking practice. Pain, daily-living independence, weight-bearing and gait symmetry all improved steadily, with 94% independent in daily activities by 6 weeks and everyone by 3 months, and no hardware failures or loss of fracture alignment; however, with no control group, the gains can't be credited to the treadmill itself.

Characterisation of frequency-domain loading profiles in high-performance youth badminton players: exploring limb asymmetry across injury history groups.

Researchers put motion sensors on the trunk and both lower legs of 30 elite youth badminton players during 90 minutes of simulated match play, then broke the impact data into four vibration frequency bands to map how load travels through the body. Loading was highest at the shins (especially the dominant leg) and lowest at the trunk, and descriptively, players with an injury history showed larger side-to-side differences in loading — though the authors stress the groups were small and results were not statistically significant.

From injury prevention to standardized scoring: a bibliometric analysis of thematic evolution and emerging trends in the development of the breakdance competition system (1984-2026).

This is a bibliometric review that mapped 40+ years of academic research (1984-2026) on building a competition system for Breaking (breakdancing), now an Olympic sport, using literature from Web of Science and Scopus. It found the US leads output, research has moved through three phases toward Olympic-oriented standardization, and work clusters around terminology, medical support, rules, and competitive psychology, with future needs in rule quantification and judging consistency.

Age-specific over-the-top anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) in skeletally immature patients: No major complications during early follow-up.

Surgeons tracked 84 still-growing young athletes (average age about 15) who had ACL reconstruction using an "over-the-top" technique plus a lateral extra-articular tenodesis, checking for problems in the first 9 months after surgery. No major complications occurred; about 20% had minor issues like temporary stiffness, swelling, or slow wound healing, and 4.7% needed a second minor procedure, with no deep infections.

Prevalence and associated factors of chronic ankle instability among athletes in the Sri Lanka Army Sports Development Village

Researchers screened 344 athletes at a Sri Lanka Army sports village for chronic ankle instability (lingering weakness and symptoms after ankle sprains) using questionnaires and physical tests of range of motion, strength, proprioception, and balance. About 24% had chronic ankle instability, it was more common in contact and team sports, prior ankle sprain was strongly linked to it, and affected athletes had more pain, less ankle motion, worse joint position sense, and poorer static and dynamic balance.

Beyond injury repair: The performance architect in sports physiotherapy

This appears to be a commentary or perspective piece arguing that sports physiotherapy involves more than treating injuries, extending into building athletic performance. No abstract is available, so the specific arguments, evidence, or conclusions cannot be summarized.

Impact of Nordic Hamstring Curls and Retro Walking on improving Hamstring strength, Endurance in athletes; A Case Report

This case report describes combining Nordic hamstring curls (an eccentric strength exercise) with retro (backward) walking to try to improve hamstring strength, flexibility, and endurance in an athlete. The abstract only sets up the rationale, noting that evidence on combining these two methods is limited, and does not report any results.

Functional outcomes and rehabilitation behaviors following ankle sprain in amateur padel players: a cross-sectional study

Researchers surveyed 187 amateur padel players in Saudi Arabia about ankle sprains, playing habits, prevention practices, and foot/ankle function. About 15% had sprained an ankle, mostly from landing; 43% had repeat sprains and 75% reported lingering functional limits. More playing experience and playing twice or more per week predicted injury, and while preventive habits didn't reduce injury risk, balance and strengthening work was linked to better ankle function scores.

A sixteen-year epidemiological study of match injuries sustained during the women's Rugby World Cup (2010 to 2025)

Medical staff from 18 national teams tracked injuries across five Women's Rugby World Cups from 2010 to 2025, recording how often injuries happened, how severe they were, and what caused them. Injuries occurred at 45.2 per 1,000 player-match-hours with an average of 48.4 days lost; concussions, knee-ligament and ankle-ligament injuries were most common, and knee-ligament injuries alone accounted for roughly a third to nearly half of all time lost. Compared with men's World Cups, injuries were less frequent but more severe, giving a similar overall injury burden.

Normalized Eccentric Hamstring Strength in Collegiate American Football: Position-Based Norms and Longitudinal Patterns.

Researchers measured eccentric hamstring strength (Nordic hamstring test on a NordBord) in 332 Division I college football players and adjusted the scores for body weight. Skill, power, and special teams players were stronger per kilogram than linemen, strength also varied by age and by team, and among 50 athletes tracked over three seasons there was essentially no change in normalized strength over time.

Neuromuscular control deficits are independently associated with recurrent ankle sprains in professional male soccer players across a ten-year retrospective cohort

Researchers tracked 1,524 professional male soccer players over ten years (2013-2022) to see whether specific neuromuscular control problems were linked to repeat ankle sprains. About 10.6% had a recurrent sprain, and the strongest links were poor joint position sense (angular error over 6 degrees, roughly 2.9x higher odds) and peroneal (outer-ankle) strength imbalances greater than 15% between legs (about 2.3x higher odds).

The kinetic compensation phenomenon: Contralateral knee overload after ACL reconstruction and the modulatory effect of lateral extra-articular tenodesis.

Researchers tracked 216 competitive athletes for a year after ACL reconstruction, measuring force-plate and muscle-activation asymmetries during single-leg hop and change-of-direction tests, and combined them into a single 'Kinetic Compensation Index' (KCI) to see whether it predicted injury to the opposite knee by 24 months. Athletes who also received a lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) alongside their reconstruction showed lower KCI scores and more symmetric movement patterns, though the authors note the index still needs external validation before clinical use.

Association between downhill mountain bike racing and neurophysiological indices of sensory, attentional and cognitive processing in youth athletes.

Researchers measured brain electrical responses (N100, P300 and N400 event-related potentials) in 15 youth and young-adult downhill mountain bikers before and after up to five days of elite racing. The N400 response, linked to higher-level cognitive processing, was significantly reduced after riding (by about 1.26 μV), while the sensory and attention-related N100 and P300 measures were unchanged; the authors note it's unclear how much of this comes from head impacts versus fatigue or concentration.

Effect of external trunk perturbations on the biomechanics of plant leg during instep kick.

Researchers had 15 male college-level footballers perform instep kicks while being pushed at the trunk from different directions, either expected or unexpected, and measured the support (plant) leg with motion capture and force plates. Unanticipated perturbations significantly changed plant-leg joint angles, moments and stiffness (including greater ankle inversion-eversion stiffness), suggesting the leg is under more control demand when a push isn't expected.

Head injury and guideline awareness: A cross-sectional survey of Australian community cricket players.

Researchers surveyed 467 Australian community cricket players online about head impacts, helmet use, and awareness of safety guidelines. Over the past year, 36% had been hit on the head, helmet, or neck, and 35% of those reported a traumatic head injury; 80% always wore a helmet when batting against pace bowling, 80% knew the helmet recommendations, but only 49% knew the concussion and head trauma guidelines.

Fully automated 3D MRI assessment of isolated chondral fracture of the knee in an adolescent athlete: A case report.

This is a single case report of an 11-year-old soccer player whose knee injury looked normal on X-ray and CT, but MRI (including a fully automated 3D version) revealed an isolated cartilage fracture of the lateral femoral condyle and mapped its size and shape. After surgical fixation with bioabsorbable pins, follow-up MRI at 5 months showed complete cartilage healing and he returned to competitive soccer at 8 months without symptoms.

Effects of Exercise-Based ACL Injury Prevention Interventions on Knee Motion in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis

Bayesian network meta-analysis evaluating how exercise-based ACL injury-prevention programs affect knee motion mechanics in athletes.