Hip Muscle Strength Ratios Predicting Groin Injury in Male Soccer Players Using Machine Learning and Multivariate Analysis—A Prospective Cohort Study

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Comments and suggestions 

Your study introduced a novel application of machine learning techniques to predict groin injuries in amateur soccer players, which represents a significant and innovative contribution to the field of sports medicine. The implementation of the k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) algorithm for injury prediction is particularly noteworthy. The content of your research is highly significant, as it addresses a prevalent issue in soccer, providing valuable insights into injury prevention. Your findings on predictive variables, such as the adductor/abductor strength ratio and history of previous injuries, are crucial for developing effective prevention strategies. The structure of the manuscript is clear and logical, with well-organized sections. The use of tables and figures to present data enhances readability. However, minor improvements in grammar and consistency, such as ensuring consistent use of terms and phrases throughout the document, clarifying complex sentences to improve readability, and correcting minor grammatical and typographical errors, could further elevate the quality.

Your research exhibits a high level of scientific rigor and features a well-designed prospective cohort study that adheres to the STROBE guidelines, thus ensuring the reliability of our findings. A comprehensive description of your methods, including the testing protocol and statistical analysis, is greatly appreciated. Your study holds a significant appeal for readers in the fields of sports medicine, physiotherapy, and sports science. The practical implications of your findings for injury prevention make your research relevant and valuable to a wide audience. Overall, this study demonstrates a high level of merit. This study contributes original and significant findings to the field of sports medicine, exhibiting strong scientific rigor and practical relevance. With minor editorial improvements, your manuscript can reach even higher standards.

Specific recommendations for enhancement

Improve clarity and readability 

* Break down lengthy sentences into shorter ones to enhance readability.

* Ensure smooth transitions between sections to maintain a coherent narrative.   

Maintain consistency and grammar 

* Employ consistent terminology throughout the manuscript.

* Correct grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement and article usage.   

Enhance data presentation 

* Consider incorporating more visual aids, such as graphs or charts, to effectively represent data trends and findings.   

Address limitations 

* While you have acknowledged the limitations of your study, consider providing more details on how future research can address these limitations.

Maintain formal tone 

* Preserved formal and academic tone throughout the manuscript. Avoid colloquial expressions and ensure that the language is appropriate for a scholarly article. 

In summary, this research is an important addition to the field of sports medicine, offering novel perspectives on the prediction and prevention of groin injuries in soccer players. By incorporating minor improvements, the manuscript has the potential to have a significant impact as a valuable resource for both researchers and practitioners. We eagerly await the opportunity to review the revised version of your work and commend your dedication to advancing knowledge in this critical area.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The quality of the English language in the document appears to be generally high, with clear and concise communication of the research objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. However, a few areas could be improved for better readability and professionalism:

Consistency and clarity

-Ensure consistent use of terms and phrases throughout the document. For example, the term "isometric strength" should be used consistently without variations such as "isometric muscle strength."

-Clarify any complex sentences that might be difficult to follow in the first reading. Breaking down long sentences into shorter, more manageable sentences can improve readability. 

Grammar and syntax:

-Review the document for minor grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and article usage. -For instance, "the isometric absolute strength and strength ratios" should be "the isometric absolute strength and strength ratios were."

-Correct any typographical errors that may have been missed during initial proofreading. 

Scientific terminology:

-Ensure the correct usage of scientific terms and avoid potential ambiguity. For example, the term "non-linear relationships" should be consistently used instead of variations like "non-linearity relationships." 

Flow and structure:

-Improve the flow of the document by ensuring smooth transitions between sections. Each section should logically follow the previous one, maintaining a coherent narrative.

-Use subheadings to organize sections more effectively, making it easier for readers to navigate the document. 

Formal tone:

-Maintain a formal and academic tone throughout the document. Avoid colloquial expressions and ensure that the language is appropriate for a scholarly article. 

The following are some specific suggestions to improve the quality of the English language in the document:

Example improvements:

Original:

"Hip adductors isometric strength was not a significant contributor to the injury prediction model, which is in line with previous research."

Improved:

"The isometric strength of the hip adductors was not a significant contributor to the injury prediction model, which aligns with previous research findings." 

Original:

"Multiple factors may be responsible for the inconsistent results regarding the correlation between strength and hip/groin injury."

Improved:

"Several factors may contribute to the inconsistent results observed in the correlation between strength and hip/groin injuries."

 Original:

"Our findings indicated that the balance ratio of the non-injured limb, typically the non-dominant limb, is of primary importance in predicting groin injuries."

Improved:

"Our findings suggest that the balance ratio of the non-injured limb, typically the non-dominant limb, plays a crucial role in predicting groin injuries." 

Conclusion:

The document is well written with a high standard of English. However, addressing these points can further enhance clarity, readability, and professionalism. A thorough review and careful proofreading will help refine the language and ensure that the document meets the highest academic standards.

Author Response

 

For research article

Hip Muscle Strength Ratios Predicting Groin Injury in Male Soccer Players Using Machine Learning and Multivariate Analysis. A Prospective Cohort Study.

 

Response to reviewer 1. Comments

Summary

Thank you very much for taking the time to review this manuscript. Thank you for your kind words and supportive feedback. Please find the detailed responses below and the corresponding revisions/corrections highlighted/in red coloured text in the re-submitted files.  

 

Improve clarity and readability 

• Break down lengthy sentences into shorter ones to enhance readability.
  • Thank you for your suggestion. Changes were applied (please check corrected-red colored text)
• Ensure smooth transitions between sections to maintain a coherent narrative.   
  • Changes applied. Thank you. Changes were applied (please check corrected-red colored text)

Maintain consistency and grammar 

• Correct grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement and article usage. 
  • Changes applied where necessary. Thank you  
• Employ consistent terminology throughout the manuscript.
  • Thank you for your suggestion. Changes were applied

Enhance data presentation 

• Consider incorporating more visual aids, such as graphs or charts, to effectively represent data trends and findings.   
  • Graphs and Charts have been applied throughout the manuscript. I would really appreciate any additional suggestion.

Address limitations 

• While you have acknowledged the limitations of your study, consider providing more details on how future research can address these limitations.
  • Excellent suggestion. Totally agreed. Changes we applied (lines 376 -380)

Maintain formal tone 

Preserved formal and academic tone throughout the manuscript. Avoid colloquial expressions and ensure that the language is appropriate for a scholarly article. 

 

In summary, this research is an important addition to the field of sports medicine, offering novel perspectives on the prediction and prevention of groin injuries in soccer players. By incorporating minor improvements, the manuscript has the potential to have a significant impact as a valuable resource for both researchers and practitioners. We eagerly await the opportunity to review the revised version of your work and commend your dedication to advancing knowledge in this critical area.

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The quality of the English language in the document appears to be generally high, with clear and concise communication of the research objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. However, a few areas could be improved for better readability and professionalism: Applied

Consistency and clarity

-Ensure consistent use of terms and phrases throughout the document. For example, the term "isometric strength" should be used consistently without variations such as "isometric muscle strength." Applied

-Clarify any complex sentences that might be difficult to follow in the first reading. Breaking down long sentences into shorter, more manageable sentences can improve readability. Applied

Grammar and syntax:

-Review the document for minor grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and article usage. -For instance, "the isometric absolute strength and strength ratios" should be "the isometric absolute strength and strength ratios were." Applied

-Correct any typographical errors that may have been missed during initial proofreading. Applied

Scientific terminology:

-Ensure the correct usage of scientific terms and avoid potential ambiguity. For example, the term "non-linear relationships" should be consistently used instead of variations like "non-linearity relationships." Applied

Flow and structure:

-Improve the flow of the document by ensuring smooth transitions between sections. Each section should logically follow the previous one, maintaining a coherent narrative. Changes applied

-Use subheadings to organize sections more effectively, making it easier for readers to navigate the document. Applied

Formal tone:

-Maintain a formal and academic tone throughout the document. Avoid colloquial expressions and ensure that the language is appropriate for a scholarly article. Applied

The following are some specific suggestions to improve the quality of the English language in the document:

Example improvements:

Original:

"Hip adductors isometric strength was not a significant contributor to the injury prediction model, which is in line with previous research." Applied

Improved:

"The isometric strength of the hip adductors was not a significant contributor to the injury prediction model, which aligns with previous research findings." Applied

Original:

"Multiple factors may be responsible for the inconsistent results regarding the correlation between strength and hip/groin injury."

Improved:  Multiple factors may be accountable for the inconclusive results regarding the correlation between strength and hip/groin injury

"Several factors may contribute to the inconsistent results observed in the correlation between strength and hip/groin injuries."

 Original:

"Our findings indicated that the balance ratio of the non-injured limb, typically the non-dominant limb, is of primary importance in predicting groin injuries." Applied

Improved:

"Our findings suggest that the balance ratio of the non-injured limb, typically the non-dominant limb, plays a crucial role in predicting groin injuries." Changes Applied

Conclusion:

The document is well written with a high standard of English. However, addressing these points can further enhance clarity, readability, and professionalism. A thorough review and careful proofreading will help refine the language and ensure that the document meets the highest academic standards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In this manuscript, the authors studied the relationship between deficits in maximal strength and strength imbalances between hip adductors and abductors and groin injuries demonstrating that Isometric hip adductor and abductor strength im-balances of the non-dominant lower limb and a history of previous injury were risk factors for groin injury in soccer players.
The manuscript is very complete with good understanding of the results and discussions.
The statistical part is also good.
My advice before publication:
1) a short revision of the English language is required
2) it would be helpful to describe the results obtained in the captions of the figures/tables to have a better understanding of the results
3) insert the number and date of approval of the ethics committee

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor revision of English

Author Response

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx