Return-to-play criteria following a hamstring injury in professional football: a scoping review

Key Points

1. It is important that return-to-play decisions are made based upon strong objective criteria.

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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

High reinjury rates of approximately 18% are seen following hamstring injury rehabilitation in elite sport, which poses a real challenge to practitioners working within this high-pressured environment (1). In order to try and minimize this risk of reinjury is it important that clinicians utilize objective criteria as part of their decision-making surrounding an athlete’s readiness to return-to-play.

This study’s primary aim was to analyze the criteria that was available in the literature in relation to return-to-play (RTP) decision making following a hamstring injury. It had further aims of understanding the research supporting prediction of injury lay-off time as well as highlighting gaps in the research which would aid in focus for future research.

High reinjury rates of approximately 18% are seen following hamstring injury rehabilitation in elite sport.

It is vital that clinicians utilize a range of criteria across all different metrics such as strength, flexibility and pain to give a well-rounded picture of their patients’ recovery from injury.

METHODS

This study performed a scoping review utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines 2020 which provided a checklist criteria which was specific to this form of review.

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