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Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Physical Rehabilitation
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Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Physical Rehabilitation

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 2992

Editors

Dr. Maria Moutzouri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Advanced Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Interests: musculoskeletal physiotherapy; chronic pain; manual therapy; knee osteoarthritis; physical activity; telerehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. George Plakoutsis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Laboratory of Advanced Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Interests: injury prevention; sports injuries; sports physiotherapy; sports rehabilitation; sports psychology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sports injuries represent a major challenge for athletes and physically active individuals at all levels. Advances in the field of physical rehabilitation and sports medicine continue to evolve rapidly, integrating innovative therapeutic approaches, emerging technologies, and personalized treatment strategies to optimize outcomes. As injury prevention and early intervention programs gain increasing recognition, the role of physiotherapy in enhancing athlete resilience, reducing injury risk, and accelerating return-to-sport processes has become more prominent than ever.

This Special Issue, “Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Physical Rehabilitation”, aims to highlight cutting-edge research and clinical applications that advance understanding and practice in the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports-related injuries. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among physiotherapists, sports scientists, orthopedic specialists, neuroscientists, and performance professionals, this collection seeks to bridge the gap between scientific evidence and real-world application.

We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, clinical trials, and high-quality case studies focusing on innovative therapeutic practices, technology-assisted rehabilitation, biomechanical assessment tools, neuromuscular training, pain management techniques, motor imagery, and psychological interventions to support athlete recovery and performance. Studies exploring innovative technologies in rehabilitation, wearable technologies, digital health solutions, and sport-specific conditioning programs are also highly encouraged.

The goal of this Special Issue is to promote knowledge exchange and showcase advancements that lead to safer environments for sports practice, more effective rehabilitation pathways, and improved long-term outcomes for injured athletes. By emphasizing innovation and interdisciplinary strategies, this Special Issue aims to support the future of sports injury management and help drive evidence-based practice in physical rehabilitation.

Dr. Maria Moutzouri
Guest Editor

Dr. George Plakoutsis
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sports injury prevention
  • physical rehabilitation
  • physiotherapy
  • sports medicine
  • neuromuscular training
  • motor control and motor imagery
  • biomechanics and movement analysis
  • pain management in athletes
  • technology-assisted rehabilitation
  • return-to-sport strategies

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2175 KB  
Article
Effects of a Single Session of Active Release Technique on Gastrocnemius Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness in Male Amateur Football Athletes: A Randomized Split-Body Pilot Study
by Theofanis Dimoulias, George Krekoukias, Maria Moutzouri, George Plakoutsis, Eleftherios Paraskevopoulos and Maria Papandreou
Healthcare 2026, 14(11), 1581; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14111581 - 4 Jun 2026
Viewed by 384
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is a common consequence of eccentric exercise, characterized by pain, stiffness, and reduced function. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effect of a single session of Active Release Technique (ART) on gastrocnemius DOMS in amateur football athletes. [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is a common consequence of eccentric exercise, characterized by pain, stiffness, and reduced function. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effect of a single session of Active Release Technique (ART) on gastrocnemius DOMS in amateur football athletes. Methods: Twelve football athletes participated in a randomized split-body design study. All participants completed a bilateral eccentric heel-raise protocol to induce DOMS. One lower limb from each participant was randomly assigned to the ART group (single 8–10 min session), while the contralateral limb served as a control. Pain intensity was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and the pressure pain threshold (PPT) was measured at baseline and at 24, 48, and 72 h post-exercise. Results: The ART group demonstrated significantly lower NRS scores at 24 h compared with the control group (p = 0.007, r = 0.77). At 48 and 72 h, NRS scores remained significantly lower (48 h: p = 0.001, d = 1.26; 72 h: p = 0.003, d = 1.11). PPT values were also significantly higher in the ART group at 24, 48 and 72 h (24 h: p = 0.026, d = 0.73; 48 h: p < 0.001, d = 1.42; 72 h: p = 0.006, d = 0.98). Conclusions: A single ART session may reduce pain and increase the pressure pain threshold following gastrocnemius DOMS in amateur football athletes. However, given the pilot design, small sample size, and absence of functional outcome measures, these findings should be interpreted with caution and confirmed in future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Physical Rehabilitation)
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15 pages, 1407 KB  
Article
Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity of the Greek Version of the Subjective Patient Outcome for Return to Sports (SPORTS) Score Questionnaire in Athletes with Various Shoulder Pathologies
by Sotiria Vrouva, Eftychia Andreou, Georgios Krekoukias, Eleftherios Paraskevopoulos, Konstantinos Chanopoulos and George A. Koumantakis
Healthcare 2026, 14(9), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14091219 - 1 May 2026
Viewed by 524
Abstract
Background: Shoulder injury is common among athletes who engage in sports where the upper limb is actively involved. These injuries can affect an athlete’s performance and ability to return to sports at the preinjury level. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the Subjective [...] Read more.
Background: Shoulder injury is common among athletes who engage in sports where the upper limb is actively involved. These injuries can affect an athlete’s performance and ability to return to sports at the preinjury level. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the Subjective Patient Outcome for Return to Sports score in Greek (SPORTS-GR) and evaluate its reliability and construct validity. Methods: Sixty-five Greek athletes (18–40 years) diagnosed with shoulder pathology were included. The SPORTS-GR was adapted according to standard procedures, and its construct validity was examined via associations with the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI-GR) questionnaire, which assesses pain and disability related to shoulder pathologies. Test–retest reliability was tested by repeating the SPORTS score questionnaire administration after 6–8 days. Eligible athletes were selected from the Hellenic Supreme Council of Military Sports. Results: Face validity was excellent with a ceiling effect of 35.4%. The construct validity was high, with strong negative correlations between the SPORTS-GR score and the SPADI-GR total score (r = −0.91, p < 0.001), pain subscale score (r = −0.84, p < 0.001), disability subscale score (r = −0.90, p < 0.001), and age (r = 0.26, p = 0.04). Test–retest reliability was also excellent (ICC = 0.98) with no significant systematic error (SEM = 0.09). Conclusions: The SPORTS-GR is valid and reliable for evaluating athletes’ return to sports with shoulder pathologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Physical Rehabilitation)
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14 pages, 1215 KB  
Article
Comparative Effects of an Acute Bout of Self-Myofascial Release on the Plantar Fascia Using Auramat® Versus Traditional Warm-Up on Quadriceps Function and Flexibility
by Danilo Gaias, Antonio Martínez-Serrano, Manuel Sanz-Matesanz, David Blanco-Luengo and Luis Manuel Martínez-Aranda
Healthcare 2026, 14(6), 757; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14060757 - 18 Mar 2026
Viewed by 642
Abstract
Background: Self-myofascial release (SMFR) is a treatment whose main benefits are enhanced recovery and increased flexibility without impairing athletic performance. Previous research has often targeted the posterior myofascial chain (superficial back line, SBL), which runs from the plantar fascia to the posterior [...] Read more.
Background: Self-myofascial release (SMFR) is a treatment whose main benefits are enhanced recovery and increased flexibility without impairing athletic performance. Previous research has often targeted the posterior myofascial chain (superficial back line, SBL), which runs from the plantar fascia to the posterior cranium and is commonly linked to hamstring-related outcomes. However, its potential influence on knee extensor force production remains unclear and would likely be indirect. Many SMFR tools have entered the market in recent years, with Auramat® being one of them, yet it has not been investigated to date. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of Auramat® (AUR) on posterior-chain flexibility and knee extensor (KE) function and to compare them with those of a traditional warm-up (TW). Methods: This study was a randomised, counterbalanced, cross-over design where 20 recreationally active participants (12 males, 8 females; age = 27.20 ± 4.98 years) attended the laboratory 3 times over a 2-week period. The first week consisted of a familiarisation session during which participants performed several tests. In the second week, the groups that were randomly assigned at AUR or TW conditions performed the two intervention protocols separated by 48 h. The pre-post ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), straight leg raise test (SLRT) and rate of force development (RFD) were measured. All tests were performed on the dominant limb. Results: There was no significant difference in RFD and MVIC for conditions (p = 0.91), time (p = 0.24), or condition × time (p = 0.41). Both conditions improved posterior chain flexibility (p ≤ 0.01) with a larger effect in TW (d = 2.03; ↑ 7.81%) compared to the AUR condition (d = 0.89; ↑ 3.69%). RPE for TW showed significant higher RPE values compared to the AUR condition (p ≤ 0.01; ES = 2.32; TW = 4.3 ± 1.45 vs. AUR = 1.55 ± 0.82). Conclusions: Both SMFR with AUR and TW increased flexibility without any significant reduction in KE force production. Practitioners may use TW in a session where the aim is an increase in flexibility and AUR when the time is limited and the increase in fatigue can be relevant, due to the lower RPE reported. In any case, these results should be taken with caution since even the AUR was more time-efficient; the findings are preliminary owing to the small sample and absence of a control condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Physical Rehabilitation)
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20 pages, 2074 KB  
Study Protocol
The Effect of Binaural Beats Music-Based Interventions on the Autonomic Nervous System, Considering Kinesiophobia of Reinjuries and Fitness Biomarkers in Professional Athletes with Musculoskeletal Injuries: Study Protocol for a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trials
by Evangelos Kontogiannis, Marianna Papadopoulou, Dimitrios Mandalidis, Apostolos Z. Skouras and Maria Papandreou
Healthcare 2026, 14(14), 2129; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14142129 - 15 Jul 2026
Viewed by 516
Abstract
Background/Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of binaural beats (BB) on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), kinesiophobia of reinjury and fitness biomarkers in professional athletes with chronic musculoskeletal injuries. Methods: A total of 54 athletes aged 18–25 years, engaged in [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of binaural beats (BB) on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), kinesiophobia of reinjury and fitness biomarkers in professional athletes with chronic musculoskeletal injuries. Methods: A total of 54 athletes aged 18–25 years, engaged in open-skill sports and experiencing chronic lower-limb injuries for over three months, will be recruited. They will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: an intervention group, a placebo group, and a control group. All athletes will undergo a 15 min auditory intervention five times per week for four weeks. The intervention group will listen to BB embedded in music at high beta and gamma frequencies (30–100 Hz) with guided instructions. The placebo group will receive placebo BB within the same music framework, while the control group will listen only to the music background. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a 4-week follow-up. The primary outcomes will be kinesiophobia of reinjury, ANS function, and heart rate variability (HRV), assessed using the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-17), Sympathetic Skin Response (SSR), and HRV analysis, respectively. Secondary outcomes will include sport-related anxiety and pain beliefs, assessed using the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT-15) and the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory (PBPI-16), respectively; handgrip strength, assessed using the Hand Grip Test; and fitness-related biomarkers, including maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and blood lactate concentration. Conclusions: These findings may provide evidence supporting BB as a complementary, non-invasive intervention to enhance psychological and physiological rehabilitation in injured athletes. Ethics and Dissemination: The study has received ethical approval and is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and academic presentations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Physical Rehabilitation)
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