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Medicina
Special Issues
Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
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Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Orthopedics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 2604

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sofia Xergia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Rio, Greece
Interests: sports injury biomechanics; system dynamics; sports injury prevention & rehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Nikolaos I. Liveris

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Physiotherapy Department, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
Interests: sports injuries; risk factors; systems thinking; injury prevention; preseason screening; sports and musculoskeletal biomechanics; rehabilitation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite extensive research into injury risk, prevention strategies, and rehabilitation, sports injuries remain a major challenge. Athletes, coaches, and sports scientists continue to face rising rates of injury and reinjury, which significantly impact athletic performance, career longevity, and financial investment. A sports trauma represents a complex, multifactorial condition involving interrelated factors such as neuromuscular activity, movement quality, workload, psychology, and quality of rehabilitation. This signifies that various medical professionals, such as sports scientists, physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, and sports psychologists, should collaborate to achieve effective prevention and treatment of sports-related traumas.

Addressing this multifaceted issue requires innovative, interdisciplinary research that focuses on applying emerging methods and technologies to enhance primary and secondary injury prevention and rehabilitation. The application of innovative technologies, such as wearable sensors and biomechanical analysis, can provide deeper insights into injury risk patterns and movement dysfunctions. Functional measurements and innovative rehabilitation protocols can enhance actionable injury risk screening and rehabilitation. Moreover, incorporating advanced statistical modeling can provide real-time insights that have the potential to improve both clinical decision-making and field-based practice.

This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality research and review articles in the field of sports injury prevention and rehabilitation. We particularly welcome studies that offer multidisciplinary approaches and provide actionable insights into the diagnosis, management, and recovery of sports-related injuries. Our goal is to provide a platform for presenting the latest scientific advancements that enhance understanding and support the practical application of evidence-based strategies for injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: injury prevention, exploring the underlying risk factors for sports trauma, biomechanical analysis of movement patterns related to injury, injury rehabilitation interventions and recovery optimization, utilizing wearable technologies for injury risk assessment and rehabilitation monitoring, multidisciplinary approaches to sports injury management, and innovations in surgical interventions and post-surgical rehabilitation.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Dr. Sofia Xergia
Guest Editor

Dr. Nikolaos I. Liveris
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2200 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 rehabilitation
  • injury prevention
  • risk factors
  • return-to-play (RTP) criteria
  • biomechanical analysis
  • sports psychology
  • surgical intervention methods
  • ligament repair
  • joint reconstruction
  • physical therapy and rehabilitation

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1293 KB  
Article
Loaded Single-Leg Roman Chair Hold Preferentially Increases Biceps Femoris Activation, Whereas the Nordic Hamstring Exercise Emphasises Semitendinosus Activation in Professional Athletes
by Gokhan Yagiz, Fuat Yuksel, Cristina Monleón, Hans-Peter Kubis, Gokhan Mehmet Karatay, Serdar Eler, Esedullah Akaras, Nevin Atalay Guzel and Encarnación Liébana
Medicina 2026, 62(1), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62010146 - 12 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1194
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are frequent and recurrent in athletes who perform high-speed running. The long head of the biceps femoris (BFlh) is often affected by HSIs. While the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is used for prevention, evidence shows [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are frequent and recurrent in athletes who perform high-speed running. The long head of the biceps femoris (BFlh) is often affected by HSIs. While the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is used for prevention, evidence shows it mainly activates the semitendinosus (ST) instead of the biceps femoris (BF). It was argued that hamstrings may contract isometrically during sprinting’s late swing phase; exercises like the single-leg Roman Chair-Hold (RCH) might better mimic sprinting. Limited electromyographic (EMG) data compare NHE and RCH. This study examined EMG activation of BF and ST during both exercises in athletes. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six professional handball players (17 females, 19 males) were randomly assigned to NHE (n = 18; mean age 22.1 ± 3.9 years) or RCH (n = 18; mean age 22.6 ± 4.9 years). A wireless EMG system recorded dominant leg BFlh and ST activity, normalised to maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC%). NHE participants completed one set of ten repetitions; RCH participants performed three sets of ten repetitions with progressive loads (bodyweight, +10 kg, +20 kg). Results: RCH led to a significantly higher mean BFlh activation in the third set with +20 kg weight compared to NHE (72.9% versus 46.5%; p < 0.001, g = 1.52). BFlh activation steadily increased across RCH sets, coinciding with additional load increments (p < 0.001). Conversely, NHE produced greater ST activation than the RCH at the first set, where RCH was performed with only bodyweight (p < 0.001). Conclusions: NHE primarily activates the ST, while RCH gradually increases BFlh activation, particularly under load. Future research should investigate which exercises are more effective at reducing HSIs to draw more robust conclusions based on the study’s findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation)
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28 pages, 4794 KB  
Article
Interdependent Effect of Intrinsic Risk Factors on Non-Contact Lower Limb Injuries in Male Football Players: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
by Nikolaos I. Liveris, Charis Tsarbou, George Papageorgiou, Elias Tsepis and Sofia A. Xergia
Medicina 2026, 62(1), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62010052 - 26 Dec 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 785
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Recent research has highlighted the importance of examining risk factors and their complex interrelationships in the development of lower limb injuries. This study aimed to investigate the direct, indirect, and mediating effects of endogenous neuromuscular and psychological risk factors [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Recent research has highlighted the importance of examining risk factors and their complex interrelationships in the development of lower limb injuries. This study aimed to investigate the direct, indirect, and mediating effects of endogenous neuromuscular and psychological risk factors on the incidence of non-contact lower limb injuries in football players. Materials and Methods: A sample of ninety-seven male football players underwent a structured preseason, on-field assessment. Demographic characteristics, injury history, and athlete burnout were collected through standardized questionnaires. Preseason evaluations included assessments of lower limb flexibility; isometric strength assessment of hamstring, hip abductors, and quadriceps using a handheld dynamometer; hamstring and core endurance; and the single-leg triple hop for distance test. All non-contact lower limb injuries were prospectively recorded throughout the competitive season. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method was applied to examine both direct and indirect associations between preseason risk factors and injury incidence. Results: Lower limb strength asymmetries (path coefficient (PC) 0.293, p = 0.004) and previous injuries (PC 0.233, p = 0.015) exhibited the strongest direct effects on the occurrence of new non-contact lower limb injuries. In addition, age acted as a moderating factor, amplifying the effect of lower limb strength asymmetries on injury risk. Moreover, previous injuries demonstrated both direct and indirect effects on neuromuscular characteristics and perceived burnout. Core and hamstring endurance tended to influence new injuries indirectly through strength asymmetries and were significantly affected by hamstring strength (PC 0.248, p = 0.015) and prior injuries (PC −0.207, p = 0.029). Conclusions: Injury prevention strategies should prioritize the improvement of core and hamstring endurance and the reduction in lower limb Strength Asymmetries, particularly among older football players. Furthermore, individualized preventive interventions for athletes with a previous history of injury are strongly recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Sports Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation)
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