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Sports Injuries: Prevention and Rehabilitation

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 8396

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Iwona Sulowska-Daszyk

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Guest Editor

Institute of Clinical Rehabilitation, University of Physical Education in Krakow, Poland Al. Jana Pawla II 78, 31-571 Krakow, Poland
Interests: foot; short foot; injuries; injury prevention; movement; biomechanics; athletes; gait; motion analysis; FMS; running; runners

Prof. Dr. Anna Mika

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Guest Editor

Institute of Clinical Rehabilitation, University of Physical Culture in Kraków, 31-571 Kraków, Poland
Interests: rehabilitation medicine; sports medicine; exercise science; biomechanics; bioengineering
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Participating in sports is inherently associated with the risk of injury and overuse. The most common issues involve dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system.

Currently, this is not an aspect that concerns only competitive sports. Amateur sports have also achieved incredible development, which is why they are often practiced at a very high level, consequently leading to a risk of injuries comparable to that of professional athletes.

Competitive athletes typically exhibit a very high level of overall physical preparedness, a factor that is often lacking among amateur athletes. This preparedness significantly influences the frequency of sports-related injuries.

The goal of this Special Issue is to examine methods for preventing and treating sports injuries across all levels of athletic performance, from professional to amateur athletes. Original research, narratives, and systematic reviews are welcome, as these will provide valuable perspectives and enhance strategies for injury prevention and rehabilitation across various sports disciplines. Such contributions will enrich existing knowledge and support its practical application by athletes, coaches, and physiotherapists.

Dr. Iwona Sulowska-Daszyk
Prof. Dr. Anna Mika
Guest Editors

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Keywords

sports-related injuries
injury prevention
rehabilitation
treatment
athletes

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1445 KB

Open AccessArticle

Asymmetry in Hamstring Strength Among Soccer Players During the Swing Eccentric Hamstring Exercise: Implications Across Playing Positions

by Antonio Riego-Ruiz, Carlos Ruiz-Garces, Ignacio Chirosa-Ríos, Guido Contreras-Diaz, Pedro Delgado-Floody, Maximiliano Torres-Banduc, Waleska Reyes-Ferrada and Daniel Jerez-Mayorga

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(4), 1837; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16041837 - 12 Feb 2026

Viewed by 814

Abstract

Background: In soccer, the repeated execution of unilateral actions may lead to uneven limb development, promoting the occurrence of asymmetries. However, there is no consensus on the impact of these asymmetries on sports performance or the influence of playing position on their magnitude. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 33 male federated soccer players (age: 18.42 ± 4.24 years; body mass: 70.23 ± 8.74 kg; height: 1.76 ± 0.07 m; body mass index: 22.6 ± 2.7 kg/m²). Hamstring strength asymmetry between the dominant and non-dominant limbs was assessed using functional electromechanical dynamometer (FEMD) at eccentric velocities of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 m/s. Physical performance was evaluated through a 30 m sprint and countermovement jump (CMJ). Differences according to playing position were also analyzed. Results: Significant between-limb differences were found in strength, power, and impulse, with effect sizes increasing as testing velocity rose. No significant differences in asymmetry levels were observed across playing positions, and no correlations were found between hamstring asymmetry and physical performance outcomes. Conclusions: Although functional lower-limb asymmetries were identified in soccer players, these asymmetries did not directly influence performance nor vary across playing positions. The findings suggest that certain asymmetries may represent normal functional adaptations in soccer rather than pathological structural imbalances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Injuries: Prevention and Rehabilitation)

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15 pages, 801 KB

Open AccessArticle

Associations Between Physical Performance and Asymmetry in Jump, Change of Direction, and Dorsiflexion Tests in Adult Elite Female Futsal Players

by Rafael Albalad-Aiguabella, Germán Vicente-Rodríguez, Borja Muniz-Pardos, Alberto Roso-Moliner, Oscar Villanueva-Guerrero and Elena Mainer-Pardos

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(19), 10661; https://doi.org/10.3390/app151910661 - 2 Oct 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1158

Abstract

Inter-limb asymmetries may negatively affect performance and increase injury risk in team sports, but evidence in women’s futsal remains scarce. This study examined the relationship between inter-limb asymmetries in vertical (countermovement jump, CMJ), horizontal (standing broad jump, SBJ), and reactive (drop jump, DJ) tests, ankle dorsiflexion (DF), and change of direction (COD; 505, L-Run, V-Cut) with physical performance variables in adult female futsal players. Thirty-two highly trained athletes from the Spanish Women’s Second Division (age: 23.4 ± 4.8 years) completed a testing battery including bilateral and unilateral jumps, linear sprints (5, 10, 15 m), COD tests, and ankle dorsiflexion. Asymmetries were calculated as percentage differences between limbs, and their associations with unilateral performance were analyzed using Pearson’s correlations. The highest asymmetries were observed in DJ (15.7 ± 13.3%) and DF (15.3 ± 13.3%), whereas L-Run and 505 displayed the lowest values. Significant moderate negative correlations were found between SBJ asymmetry and right leg SBJ performance (r = −0.356, p < 0.05), and between DF asymmetry and right leg DF (r = −0.494, p < 0.01). No other meaningful associations were identified, and agreement in the direction of asymmetry across tests was generally slight. These findings highlight the task-specific nature of inter-limb asymmetries and suggest that diverse unilateral assessments are needed to comprehensively monitor imbalances and inform targeted training interventions in female futsal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Injuries: Prevention and Rehabilitation)

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13 pages, 1049 KB

Open AccessArticle

Injury Prediction in Korean Adult Field Hockey Players Using Machine Learning and SHAP-Based Feature Importance Analysis

by Minkyung Choi, Kumju Lee and Kihyuk Lee

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(16), 8946; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15168946 - 13 Aug 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1518

Abstract

Field hockey involves repetitive high-intensity movements and physical contact, posing a high risk of injury. However, studies developing injury prediction models without relying on expensive tools such as GPS remain limited. This study aimed to develop an explainable AI model that predicts injury occurrence using only simple questionnaire-based data and visually identifies key predictors. Survey data were collected from 239 adult players registered with the Korea Field Hockey Association in 2024, including university and professional team athletes. Ten variables were used: sex, team affiliation, playing experience, player level, warm-up duration, weekly training hours and days, and physical indicators (age, height, weight). Injury was defined as an event within the past year that resulted in being unable to train for more than 24 h. Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and XGBoost models were compared. The final model—Logistic Regression—underwent SHAP-based visualization for interpretability. The Logistic Regression model showed the best performance in recall (0.6810 ± 0.0983), F1-score (0.6260 ± 0.0499), and AUC (0.6515 ± 0.0393). SHAP analysis identified Group, Training Time, Weight, and Player Level as key predictors, and visualized their contributions to individual predictions. This study demonstrates that a lightweight, interpretable injury prediction model using only simple survey data can achieve practical performance. This approach offers valuable insights for real-world applications and the development of injury prevention strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Injuries: Prevention and Rehabilitation)

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Review

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17 pages, 525 KB

Open AccessReview

Epidemiology, Incidence, Prevalence, and Treatment of Injuries in Padel: A Scoping Review

by Daniel Aguilar-Núñez, Alejandro González-Romero, José Javier Pérez-Montilla, Dina Hamed-Hamed, Ana González-Muñoz and Santiago Navarro-Ledesma

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 2680; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16062680 - 11 Mar 2026

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Abstract

Padel has gained considerable popularity in recent years; however, the characteristics of padel-related injuries characteristics and epidemiological estimates remain poorly defined. This scoping review aimed to describe the epidemiology, incidence, and prevalence of injuries in padel reported following PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The literature search was conducted between January and June 2025, and studies published within the last five years were eligible for inclusion. Studies were identified through PubMed, SCOPUS, and SPORTDiscus. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational and cohort studies and AMSTAR-II for systematic reviews. Fourteen studies including 3581 players were analyzed. In the upper limbs, the elbow was the most commonly injured region, followed by the shoulder, with a predominance of tendinous injuries, particularly involving the extensor carpi radialis brevis tendon. In the lower limbs, the knee and ankle were the most affected joints, with ligament injuries being the most frequent, mainly involving the anterior cruciate ligament and the posterior talofibular ligament, respectively. Padel shows a high incidence and prevalence of injuries, with limited evidence regarding treatment. This review provides a structured overview of injury patterns in padel that may inform clinicians and coaches when prioritizing prevention and conditioning strategies, while highlighting the need for prospective, standardized injury surveillance and padel-specific intervention research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Injuries: Prevention and Rehabilitation)

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13 pages, 665 KB

Open AccessReview

Emerging Technologies for Injury Identification in Sports Settings: A Systematic Review

by Luke Canavan Dignam, Lisa Ryan, Michael McCann and Ed Daly

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(14), 7874; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15147874 - 14 Jul 2025

Viewed by 1987

Abstract

Sport injury recognition is rapidly evolving with the integration of new emerging technologies. This systematic review aims to identify and evaluate technologies capable of detecting injuries during sports participation. A comprehensive search of PUBMED, Sport Discus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024608964). Inclusion criteria focused on prospective studies involving athletes of all ages, evaluating tools which are utilised to identify injuries in sports settings. The review included research between 2014 and 2024; retrospective, conceptual, and fatigue-focused studies were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) tool. Of 4283 records screened, 70 full-text articles were assessed, with 21 studies meeting the final inclusion criteria. The technologies were grouped into advanced imaging (Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DFI), and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM), with biomarkers (i.e., Neurofilament Light (NfL), Tau protein, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Salivary MicroRNAs, and Immunoglobulin A (IgA), and sideline assessments (i.e., the King–Devick test, KD-Eye Tracking, modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS), DETECT, ImPACT structured video analysis, and Instrumented Mouth Guards (iMGs)), which demonstrated feasibility for immediate sideline identification of injury. Future research should improve methodological rigour through larger, diverse samples and controlled designs, with real-world testing environments. Following this guidance, the application of emerging technologies may assist medical staff, coaches, and national governing bodies in identifying injuries in a sports setting, providing real-time assessment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Injuries: Prevention and Rehabilitation)

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Other

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14 pages, 676 KB

Open AccessPerspective

Shockwave in the Management of ACL Injuries: A Clinical Perspective

by Filip J. Zimmermann, Logan Walter Gaudette, Michelle Bruneau, Jacob Sellon, Ludger Gerdesmeyer and Adam Sebastian Tenforde

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 1344; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031344 - 28 Jan 2026

Viewed by 1224

Abstract

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most common knee injuries sustained during sport. Following injury, only 65% of patients may return to their previous level of sport. Individuals who have suffered ACL injury are far more likely to develop post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the knee (PTOA). This suggests an unmet need for strategies to help advance return to play, reduce risk of PTOA, and provide additional options for pain management after ACL injury. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and radial pressure waves (RPW) are non-invasive treatment options that have been shown effective for treatment of a variety of orthopedic injuries. This perspective proposes the use of ESWT and RPW as treatment options during the peri-operative and post-operative management of ACL injuries, with the goal of modifying risk for PTOA. The available literature indicates that ESWT may have chondroprotective effects after ACL injury, and numerous clinical trials demonstrate the effectiveness of ESWT and RPW for orthopedic conditions including tendinopathy or bone marrow edema. Limited data and a lack of consensus on standardized rehabilitation protocols present gaps in the literature and emphasize the need for research leading to evidence-based recommendations for the use of ESWT and RPW to modify risk for the onset of PTOA after ACL injuries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Injuries: Prevention and Rehabilitation)

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