Alpha-Actinin-3 Deficiency Might Affect Recovery from Non-Contact Muscle Injuries: Preliminary Findings in a Top-Level Soccer Team.

There are recent data suggesting an association between the R577X polymorphism (rs1815739) in the gene encoding α-actinin-3 (ACTN3) and the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association of rs1815739 with risk of, and recovery time from non-contact soft-tissue muscle injuries in professional soccer players. Forty-six (22 male and 24 female) players from a top-level professional soccer team were assessed during five consecutive seasons: the genotype distribution was: RR, 41.3%; RX, 47.8%; and XX, 10.9%. There was a trend towards a higher risk of muscle injury associated with the XX genotype (p = 0.092, with no injury-free XX player during the 5-year study period) and a significant genotype effect for the time needed to return to play (p = 0.044, with the highest value shown for the XX genotype, i.e., 36 ± 26 days, vs. 20 ± 10 and 17 ± 12 days for RR and RX, respectively). In conclusion, the XX genotype might be associated not only with a higher risk of non-contact muscle injuries, but also of recovery time from these conditions. However, more research in larger cohorts is needed to confirm this preliminary hypothesis.

Returning to Sport during the Covid-19 pandemic: The sports physicians' role

No disponible

Incidence of Tendinopathy in Team Sports in a Multidisciplinary Sports Club Over 8 Seasons.

Tendinopathy is a critical medical condition that often hinders level of participation for professional and young athletes in many sports. The purpose of the study was to describe the incidence and severity of tendinopathy in a multi-sport club with professional and youth teams. We performed a retrospective epidemiological study. Incidence of tendinopathy in players (n = 3839; 8-38 years, professional and youth) was reviewed over 8 seasons (2008-2016) in 5 team sports: football, basketball, handball, roller hockey, and futsal. Team physicians diagnosed and classified tendinopathies according to anatomical location, sport types, playing category, sex, playing surface, lost training time, and severity (time to return to play). Injuries were coded using OSICS-10, and incidence of tendinopathies were calculated as the number of injuries per 100 players per season. The total relative frequency of tendinopathy (versus total injuries) was 22% (843/3839) over 8 seasons from 360 in youth and 483 in professional teams. The incidence of injury was the highest in professional basketball [69.9, 95%CI: (58.0-81.4)] followed by professional roller hockey [64.4, 95%CI: (47.3-85.6)], and professional futsal [36.2, 95%CI: (27.3-47.1)]. The most incidences commonly affected tendons were the patellar [11.7, 95%CI: (10.0-13.5)] and Achilles [10.3, 95%CI: (8.5-12.5)]. Tendinopathies represent a significant number of injuries in team sports and are more common in professional than youth teams, especially basketball and roller hockey. Additional studies are needed to understand associated time-loss and impact on performance, and to develop prevention strategies for high risk sports.