{"title":"Effectiveness of massage-based rehabilitation in professional and elite athletes following arthroscopic ACL reconstruction for enhancing return-to-sport (RTS): a systematic review.","authors":"Ehsan Esmaeili Nematabadi, Teimour Darzabi","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2026.2690515","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2026.2690515","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of massage-based rehabilitation interventions in athletes undergoing arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), with particular emphasis on return-to-sport (RTS) outcomes in professional and elite athletes. The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and included studies published between January 2020 and February 2026 from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Eligibility criteria were refined to prioritize primary research directly examining massage-based or soft tissue/manual therapy interventions after ACLR. Methodological quality and the risk of bias were assessed using RoB 2 for randomized controlled trials, ROBINS-I for non-randomized studies, and relevant critical appraisal tools according to study design. The findings indicated that massage-based interventions, including sports massage, myofascial release, acupoint stimulation, percussion massage, and related manual therapies, were associated with reduced pain and oedema, improved muscle tone, enhanced proprioception, and faster functional recovery. The most favourable RTS outcomes were reported when these interventions were integrated within structured, individualized, exercise-based rehabilitation programmes. Successful RTS, commonly achieved within 6-12 months, was further supported by phased progression, sport-specific conditioning, objective functional testing, and the assessment of psychological readiness. Massage-based rehabilitation appears to be a valuable adjunct to comprehensive post-ACLR rehabilitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-27"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148272765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Won J Jeong, Jason P Caffrey, Jedidah K Prum, Ravinderjit Singh, Renato A Martin, Meghan McKay, Angela N Cortez
{"title":"Musculoskeletal ultrasound abnormalities in professional rugby union players in the United States.","authors":"Won J Jeong, Jason P Caffrey, Jedidah K Prum, Ravinderjit Singh, Renato A Martin, Meghan McKay, Angela N Cortez","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2026.2686651","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2026.2686651","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This cross-sectional observational study aimed to characterize the prevalence of musculoskeletal sonographic abnormalities among players (N = 23) in a Major League Rugby team during preseason medical evaluations. Bilateral ultrasound examinations were performed on the acromioclavicular (AC) joints, quadriceps, patellar, and Achilles tendons. Players most commonly reported prior injuries to the ankle/foot, leg, and shoulder. Ultrasound findings revealed a high prevalence of abnormalities across all examined sites: 65.2% in the AC joints, 70.6% in the quadriceps tendons, 100% in the patellar tendons, and 60.9% in the Achilles tendons. The most frequent findings included insertion-site hyperechoic lesions in the quadriceps tendons (58.8%), hypoechoic lesions in the patellar tendons (82.4%), and hypoechoic lesions in the Achilles tendons (34.8%). These results highlight relevant sonographic musculoskeletal abnormalities in professional rugby union players. The study suggests that preseason musculoskeletal ultrasound may serve as a useful screening tool, warranting further investigation into its role in injury prediction and prevention.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148252894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yavuz Lima, Kerry Peek, Ogün Köyağasıoğlu, Levend Karaçoban
{"title":"Potential head injury situations doubled over the past 10-year in beach soccer: a time-trend video-analysis study.","authors":"Yavuz Lima, Kerry Peek, Ogün Köyağasıoğlu, Levend Karaçoban","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2026.2686647","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2026.2686647","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examined 10-year trends in potential head injury situations across five consecutive FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups (2015-2024). Footage from 160 matches (974 match-hours) was analysed to identify potential head injury situations and associated mechanisms, player actions, outcomes, and visible signs of possible concussion. A total of 463 potential head injury situations were identified, corresponding to an incidence rate (IR) of 475.3 potential head injury situations/1000 match-hours (2.9/match). The overall IR increased significantly by 6.6% biennially, resulting in a 1.95-fold increase over the 10-year period. Increases were most pronounced in incidents involving upper-extremity-to-head contact (9.0%), those occurring during other-duels (17.5%), and those where players were competing for the ball with their feet (14.4%). The IR of medically assessed incidents and those presenting visible signs of possible concussion did not significantly change over time (<i>p</i>>0.05). Findings suggest that increasing potential head injury situations are primarily driven by contested situations involving greater upper-extremity use, warranting targeted prevention strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148205913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biomechanical risk factors for badminton injuries: a systematic review.","authors":"Douxiang Xiao, Yuxin Duan, He Weng","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2026.2680707","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2026.2680707","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Badminton is a popular racket sport with a high injury rate. Because most existing studies are cross-sectional or retrospective, this systematic review focused on prospective biomechanical risk factors for injury in healthy players. Six databases were searched from 2010 to October 2025, yielding 435 records; 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The review found that during lunging, increased knee moments in the sagittal and frontal planes, higher peak loading rate, and posterior tibial displacement are associated with ACL injury risk. During landing, knee valgus, internal rotation, and high vertical ground reaction force also increase ACL injury risk. For shoulder injuries, internal rotation deficit (<55°) and low eccentric-to-concentric strength ratios of shoulder rotators were key risk factors. These findings suggest that injury prevention should emphasize improved lunging and landing mechanics, hamstring and rotator cuff strengthening, and individualized screening.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-24"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148101746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mapping the evidence on dual-task training in musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation: a systematic review.","authors":"Cansu Akkus, Busra Pakoz, Birgul Dingirdan Gultekinler, Elif Turgut","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2026.2673035","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2026.2673035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dual-task training (DTT) integrates concurrent motor and/or cognitive tasks. This systematic review aimed to synthesize effects of DTT in adults with musculoskeletal injuries. Eight RCTs (<i>n</i>=224) met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was assessed via Cochrane Risk-of-Bias-2 tool. Strong evidence indicates that DTT and single-task training (STT) provide comparable improvements in postural control and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Moderate evidence shows that DTT is equivalent to STT and superior to no intervention (NI) for improving postural control in individuals with ankle instability DTT's superior to STT for flexor strength and pain in elbow fractures, while remaining equivalent for range of motion, PROMs, and kinesiophobia. DTT equivalent to STT and superior to NI for jump-landing kinetics in chronic ankle instability (CAI). Limited evidence indicates DTT's superiority over NI for biomechanical improvements in knee ligament dominance defects and over STT for peroneus longus activation in CAI. Conflicting evidence persists regarding CAI proprioception.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-36"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148034554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paolo Perna, Fearghal Kerin, Lasse Lempainen, Marco Beato
{"title":"Return-to-play criteria for hamstring injuries in elite European football: a survey of current practice.","authors":"Paolo Perna, Fearghal Kerin, Lasse Lempainen, Marco Beato","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2026.2673038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2026.2673038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The study aimed to describe which criteria are used by medical and performance practitioners in elite European football to progress players through different stages of rehabilitation following a hamstring strain injury. Practitioners from European football clubs from five first-division leagues (Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League, Serie A) were invited to participate in an online survey developed in English using the online software QuestionPro. The survey was divided into two parts: part one (six questions) aimed to analyse demographic and job roles; part two (six questions) presented two clinical cases. In total, 25 surveys were completed. The participants were asked to rate on a Likert scale from \"Not important\" to \"Very important\" the following criteria for the Return-to-high-speed-running, Return-to-training and Return-to-performance phases: Time since injury, Absence of pain, Hamstring flexibility, Askling H-Test, Negative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (injury fully healed), Psychological readiness, Isometric strength, Eccentric strength (Nordics test), Isokinetic test, Single leg bridge (maximal number of repetitions), Jump tests, Completion of progressive on-field exposure (internal and external training load), Ability to run at maximal speed, Repeated sprint ability test, Global Position System (GPS) metrics equivalent to match requirements. We found that practitioners used a variety of criteria across the different stages. This heterogeneity highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach to return-to-play (RTP) decision-making across all the phases, especially when rehabilitating an intramuscular hamstring tendon injury. Overall, the practitioners felt the need for a greater number and higher specificity of tests during the rehabilitation progression for the intramuscular tendon than the myotendinous junction injury.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147942875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nathan Marques Dias, Tamiris Beppler Martins, Elisa Raulino Silva May, Fábio Sprada de Menezes, Taís Beppler Martins, Rodrigo Okubo
{"title":"Epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries in Brazilian American football: associations with pre-activity routines, sleep, and mood.","authors":"Nathan Marques Dias, Tamiris Beppler Martins, Elisa Raulino Silva May, Fábio Sprada de Menezes, Taís Beppler Martins, Rodrigo Okubo","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2026.2673042","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2026.2673042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>American football is a high-intensity contact sport associated with substantial mechanical load and risk of musculoskeletal injuries. Despite its growing popularity in Brazil, epidemiological data remain limited. This study aimed to describe the injury profile and explore factors associated with injuries in Brazilian American football players. A cross-sectional study was conducted between August and October 2025 using a questionnaire on demographic, anthropometric, training, competition, sleep, mood, and risk factors. Sixty athletes participated, with 33 reporting injuries and a median of two injuries per athlete. A total of 93 injuries were reported, most occurring during games. The ankle/foot, knee, and thigh were the most affected regions, with muscle strains and sprains predominating. Overall injury incidence was 7.26 injuries per 1,000 exposure hours, higher in games than training. Taller athletes reported more injuries, while non-restorative sleep and irregular routines were common.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147875696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Incidence and running characteristics associated with running related injuries in runners: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Irem Tamer, Umut Ziya Kocak","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2568935","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2568935","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective of this study was to ascertain the incidence and most prevalent types of injuries sustained by runners over the preceding 12 months and to examine how injury rates vary according to sex, running experience, running distance, and running type. The study included 303 runners. Data were collected through a questionnaire completed face-to-face before/after running events. Independent t-tests compared demographic data, chi-square tests evaluated injury rates based on running-related factors, and binary logistic regression assessed the combined effects of these factors. Fifty-three percent of runners reported an injury in the past year, with patellofemoral pain syndrome the most common (15%). The incidence of injury was higher among professional runners, and the specific types of injury varied by type of running and running distance. These results clarify common running injuries and how experience influences risk, which can guide tailored training and prevention strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"312-321"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145213650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}