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Return to play following muscle strains.
John Orchard1, Thomas M Best, George M Verrall
1University of New South Wales, Adelaide, Australia.
Summary
No consensus exists for safe return to play after muscle strains. Current strategies may involve earlier return in team sports, accepting some recurrence, and using imaging like MRI for better prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Muscle strains are common in athletes, leading to significant competition time loss.
- Recurrent injuries pose a substantial risk, impacting player performance and career longevity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review literature on return to play (RTP) strategies for muscle strains.
- To identify factors influencing injury recurrence and optimize outcomes.
- To assess current approaches for minimizing lost competition time and reinjury risk.
Main Methods:
- A literature review was conducted on studies examining RTP criteria for common muscle strains in sports.
- Focus was placed on identifying recurrence risk factors and prognostic indicators.
Main Results:
- No studies directly compare different RTP strategies.
- Key recurrence risk factors include persistent strength deficits, injury severity on imaging (MRI), high-risk sports/positions, pain during functional tasks, and specific muscle involvement (e.g., biceps femoris).
Conclusions:
- There are no definitive guidelines for RTP that eliminate recurrence risk.
- An earlier RTP in team sports, accepting a low to moderate recurrence rate, may be practical.
- Advanced assessment tools like MRI and isokinetic testing can help reduce, but not eliminate, recurrent injuries.