Muscle-Tendon Complex: Performance, Injury Prevention, Epidemiology and Rehabilitation

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Preventive Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1675

Special Issue Editors


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Grupo de Investigación en Deporte y Educación Física para el Desarrollo Personal y Social (GIDEPSO), Department of Specific Didactics, Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: strength; resistance exercise; isoinertial training; training optimization; physical performance; sports injuries; sports medicine; team sports performance; workload monitoring
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The muscle–tendon complex represents a fundamental entity in the biomechanical functioning of the human body, playing a crucial role in the execution of sporting movements and more demanding physical activities. Research in this area has undergone significant growth in recent decades, driven by the need to better understand the mechanisms underlying muscle–tendon functions and improve performance. Additionally, high-intensity sports actions are supported by athletes during their practice, leading to the occurrence of muscle–tendon injuries that negatively impact athletes and clubs. Therefore, the identification of new perspectives of the performance, injury prevention, epidemiology and rehabilitation related to the muscle–tendon complex is necessary. The main purpose of this Special Issue is to consolidate and present the latest advances in research on the muscle–tendon complex. We aim to gather scientific contributions addressing key aspects such as sports performance, injury prevention, epidemiology and rehabilitation. By addressing these topics, this Special Issue seamlessly integrates into the mission of healthcare by providing valuable information for healthcare professionals, researchers and clinicians, thereby promoting a comprehensive approach to care and optimal physical performance. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

muscle–tendon complex performance, epidemiology, rehabilitation and injury prevention.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Javier Raya-González
Prof. Dr. Luis Manuel Martínez Aranda
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • performance
  • epidemiology
  • rehabilitation
  • prevention
  • muscle–tendon complex

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 8611 KiB  
Article
Effect of Preventive Exercise Programs for Swimmer’s Shoulder Injury on Rotator Cuff Torque and Balance in Competitive Swimmers: A Randomized Controlled Trial
by Nuno Tavares, João Paulo Vilas-Boas and Maria António Castro
Healthcare 2025, 13(5), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13050538 - 1 Mar 2025
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Abstract
Background: Over the season, competitive swimmers experience a progressive imbalance in rotator cuff strength, predisposing them to a significant risk factor for a swimmer’s shoulder injury. Objectives: Verify the effectiveness of two 12-week preventive programs on the shoulder rotators’ peak torque and conventional/functional [...] Read more.
Background: Over the season, competitive swimmers experience a progressive imbalance in rotator cuff strength, predisposing them to a significant risk factor for a swimmer’s shoulder injury. Objectives: Verify the effectiveness of two 12-week preventive programs on the shoulder rotators’ peak torque and conventional/functional ratios. Design: A care provider- and participant-blinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial with three groups. Participants: Competitive swimmers aged 16 to 35 years with no prior clinical issues related to their shoulders. Interventions: Twice a week, over 12 weeks, the two experimental groups performed five exercises where the only difference was executing the program with weights or elastic bands, and the control group performed a sham intervention. Main outcome measures: The concentric and eccentric peak torque of the internal and external rotators of the dominant shoulder were assessed before and after the intervention using an isokinetic dynamometer Biodex System 3, at 60°/s, 120°/s, and 180°/s. Results: Among the experimental groups, only one test indicated a reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in rotator peak torque, while the control group showed a decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in five tests. Swimmers who completed the prevention programs demonstrated less imbalance in conventional/functional ratios than controls. Conclusions: Implementing a 12-week preventive program minimizes the progressive shoulder rotational imbalance over the season in competitive swimmers. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT06552585. Full article
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