Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Sports Injuries

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1453

Special Issue Editor

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
Interests: knee joint; arthroscopy; arthroplasty; ligaments; meniscus; cartilage; sports medicine; osteoarthritis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sports injury has recently become an important specialty within orthopaedic and rehabilitation medicine. This field focuses on physical fitness, as well as the prevention and treatment of various injuries related to sports and exercise. Sports medicine specialists come from a broad range of professional backgrounds. Despite their diverse expertise, all share a common goal—to prevent future injuries and improve functional recovery—enabling patients to return to daily life and pre-injury levels of sports activity. Accurate diagnosis and appropriate management are essential in sports injuries. In recent years, a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and protocols for musculoskeletal sports-related injuries have been introduced, demonstrating satisfactory clinical outcomes. In this Special Issue of Diagnostics, we aim to highlight cutting-edge concepts, techniques, and clinical results related to the diagnosis and treatment of various sports-related injuries and disorders. We invite authors to submit original research articles, meta-analyses, review articles, technical notes, and case reports focusing on diagnostic and therapeutic advances in sports injuries. Additionally, this Special Issue will explore newly developed strategies, including the application of artificial intelligence (AI), in the diagnosis and treatment of sports-related injuries.

Dr. Ki-Mo Jang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • sports injury
  • sports medicine
  • diagnosis
  • treatment
  • surgery
  • rehabilitation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

15 pages, 529 KB  
Review
Sport-Specific Considerations in ACL Reconstruction: Diagnostic Evaluation and Graft Selection
by Assala Abu Mukh, Giacomo Placella and Ki-Mo Jang
Diagnostics 2026, 16(4), 584; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16040584 - 15 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Knee biomechanical demands vary across different sports due to sport- and position-specific patterns of muscle recruitment. To return to performance, athletes must adequately restore knee kinematics to regain control over the same sport mechanics that led to the initial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) [...] Read more.
Knee biomechanical demands vary across different sports due to sport- and position-specific patterns of muscle recruitment. To return to performance, athletes must adequately restore knee kinematics to regain control over the same sport mechanics that led to the initial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. ACL graft selection should therefore minimize donor site morbidity and support sport-specific demands. This study aims to address the available evidence and guide surgical graft choice in athletes. A literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science (up to September 2025) assessed BPTB, hamstring, and quadriceps tendon autografts. Outcomes included revision, graft survival, return to sport, time to return, PROMs, anterior knee pain, donor site morbidity, and prognostic factors (age, sex). Sports were classified as pivoting, contact/collision, or endurance/non-pivoting. The results were synthesized narratively. In pivoting and cutting sports, bone–patellar tendon–bone (BPTB) autografts offer high survival rates but are associated with a high incidence of anterior knee pain, which is a substantial drawback in kneeling or flexion-intensive sports. Hamstring tendon (HT) grafts carry higher revision rates in female and younger patients, though they have low donor site morbidity that does not appear to affect long-term athletic performance. Quadriceps tendon (QT) grafts are emerging as a promising option for pivoting athletes. However, conflicting results indicate that the revision risk is comparable to that of HT grafts and possible long-standing extensor mechanism weakness. Contact and collision sports demonstrate similar trends, but kneeling and contact injuries are more common in this group. Thus, while prioritizing powerful hamstring strength, anterior knee pain symptoms should still be carefully considered. The diameter of the HT autograft should exceed 7.5 mm to ensure comparable revision outcomes with BPTB. QT grafts remain a limited-evidence attractive option. Endurance and non-pivoting athletes require fewer pivoting mechanics but rely heavily on muscle symmetry and repetitive motion. BPTB grafts are less suitable in this category due to alterations in sprint mechanics, muscle asymmetry, and repetitive patellofemoral joint loading. HT grafts provide favorable rates of return to sport, whereas evidence regarding QT graft use in non-pivoting athletes remains limited. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Sports Injuries)
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