Sports Medicine

Musculoskeletal injuries are highly prevalent in track and field, especially in the thigh and lower leg

Across 216 studies, musculoskeletal injuries in Olympic track and field proved common, especially when training and competition were combined. Prospective data suggested nearly 70% of athletes sustain at least one injury when both training and competition exposure are considered. Injury incidence during combined training and competition was about 4 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures or hours. Thigh, lower leg, foot, and ankle were the most frequently affected regions, with muscle injuries predominating. Evidence certainty was mostly very low, so these rates should guide screening and prevention but not rigid benchmarks. 1

Soccer-related concussion usually resolves within weeks, but outcomes and RTP timing vary widely

This systematic review included 23 studies on soccer-related concussion outcomes in adults and youth. Head-to-player contact was the most frequent mechanism, with defenders and midfielders sustaining the most concussions and goalkeepers at highest relative risk. Common symptoms were headache, dizziness, nausea, and confusion, generally resolving within one to four weeks. Return-to-play typically ranged from one to three weeks in adults and was longer in youth, with some evidence of slower RTP in females. Neurocognitive findings were inconsistent, underscoring the need for standardized assessment tools and more longitudinal data. 2

Chronic ankle instability drives persistent dynamic balance deficits, especially in pivoting sports

Fifty-nine studies with 4848 athletes showed that ankle injuries impair both static and dynamic balance. Chronic ankle instability produced persistent deficits, including longer stabilization times and reduced reach on SEBT and Y Balance tests. Athletes in pivoting sports like soccer and basketball demonstrated larger balance impairments than those in endurance or balance-focused sports. Static balance tests often underestimated functional deficits, emphasizing the need for dynamic, sport-specific assessments. Rehabilitation should target both distal and proximal neuromuscular control and be tailored to sport archetype demands. 3

Adding COP and 2D kinematics to force plates improves detection of post-ACLr knee loading asymmetry

Forty post-ACL reconstruction patients performed bilateral squats while 3D motion capture and force plates quantified knee extensor moment symmetry. Vertical ground reaction force alone showed only moderate agreement with gold-standard knee extensor moment symmetry and missed many deficits. Incorporating center-of-pressure data substantially improved validity and sensitivity for detecting surgical limb underloading. A vector-based approach using GRF, COP, and 2D knee position achieved excellent agreement with inverse dynamics and perfect sensitivity and specificity at the chosen threshold. Clinically, combining force plates with simple 2D video may meaningfully enhance return-to-sport decision-making when 3D labs are unavailable. 4