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Why Hand-Wrist Bandaging Could Improve Performance in Elite Soccer Players? A Scoping Review on the Biomechanical
Rocco De Vitis1, Luca Lombardi2, Matteo Guzzini3
1Department of Orthopedic and Geriatric Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico), 00168 Roma, Italy.
Background:
Soccer kicking biomechanics has traditionally focused on lower limbs, overlooking whole-body integration. Three-dimensional motion analyses have demonstrated that upper limbs contribute substantially through tension arc formation, counterbalancing, and kinetic chain coordination. The hand-wrist complex may influence performance through proprioceptive pathways, yet this remains untested.
Methods:
Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus (inception-February 2026). Peer-reviewed studies examining kicking mechanics, kinetic chains, and joint proprioception were included. Two reviewers independently screened records and extracted data. Narrative synthesis was used to organize findings across four thematic categories: upper limb biomechanics, kinetic chain principles, wrist-hand stability, and proprioceptive enhancement.
Results:
From 3847 records, 51 studies (1988-2025) were included. Upper limbs are essential for kicking through tension arc formation, energy transfer, and balance maintenance. Kinetic chains operate bidirectionally; available evidence suggests that proximal segment deficits are associated with substantially increased compensatory demands at distal segments. External joint support has been shown to enhance proprioception and force perception.
Conclusions:
This scoping review identifies a theoretical rationale and a critical research gap: no direct empirical evidence exists that hand-wrist bandaging affects kicking performance. Evidence from adjacent domains (upper limb kicking biomechanics, kinetic chain theory and proprioceptive enhancement with external supports) provides indirect, translational support for the plausibility of a hypothesis that remains entirely untested. Future research should employ within-subject crossover designs in elite soccer players to determine whether this intervention produces any measurable effect. Practical recommendations to athletes or practitioners are premature and are not supported by the current evidence base.
