Therapeutic Exercises and Modalities in Athletes With Acute Hamstring Injuries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: Hamstring strain is a common injury to the lower limbs. Early intervention in the acute phase aids with restoring hamstring function and prevents secondary related injury. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and summarize the effectiveness of exercise-based interventions combined with physical modalities currently used in athletes with acute hamstring injuries. DATA SOURCES: Five databases (EMBASE, Medline, Cochrane Library, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) were searched from inception to July 2021. STUDY SELECTION: A total of 4569 studies were screened. Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of therapeutic exercise programs with and without physical agents in athletes with acute hamstring injuries were identified for meta-analysis. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 1. DATA EXTRACTION: The studies were screened, and the evidence was rated using the PEDro scale. Nine RCTs with PEDro scores ranging between 3 and 9 were included and extracted pain intensity, time to return to play (TTRTP), and reinjury rate in the study. RESULTS: Loading exercises during extensive lengthening were shown to facilitate TTRTP at P < 0.0001 but did not prevent recurrence (P = 0.17), whereas strengthening with trunk stabilization and agility exercise did not reduce the duration of injury recurrence (P = 0.16), but significantly reduced the reinjury rate (P < 0.007) at a 12-month follow-up. The results of the stretching programs and solely physical modalities could not be pooled in the statistical analysis. CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis indicated that a loading program helps athletes to return to sports on a timely basis. Although strengthening with trunk stabilization and agility exercise cannot significantly reduce recovery time, the program can prevent reinjury. The clinical effects of stretching programs and pure physical modality interventions could not be concluded in this study due to limited evidence. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42020183035.

The Influence of Kinesio Tape and an Ankle Brace on the Lower Extremity Joint Motion in Fatigued, Unstable Ankles during a Lateral Drop Landing.

BACKGROUND: An unstable ankle along with plantar flexor muscle fatigue may exacerbate landing performance. External support may be an option to control the ankle motion and protect joints from injuries. Research goal: To investigate the immediate changes in the joint motion of a lower extremity under ankle plantar flexors fatigue conditions in athletes with unstable ankles using different external supports. METHODS: A total of 44 participants were allocated to a control (Cn) group, an ankle brace (AB) group, and a kinesio tape (KT) group, and were asked to perform a lateral drop landing before and after a fatigue protocol. The outcome measures were fatigue-induced changes in the maximal joint angle and changes in the angle ranges of the hip, knee, and ankle. RESULTS: Smaller changes in the maximal hip abduction were found in the AB group (p = 0.025), and the KT group exhibited smaller changes in the maximal ankle dorsiflexion (p = 0.009). The AB group landed with a smaller change in the range of hip flexion and knee flexion (p = 0.008 and 0.006). The Cn group had greater fatigue-induced changes in the COM range than AB and KT group (p = 0.002 and 0.028). SIGNIFICANCE: Despite the beneficial effect in the postural control in the frontal plane, the use of AB might constrain the distal joint motion which might lead to an extended knee landing posture resulting in secondary injuries to the knee joint. Therefore, the use of AB in conjunction with an additional training of landing strategy might be recommended from the injury prevention perspective.