Predictors of time to return to play and re-injury following hamstring injury with and without intramuscular tendon involvement in adult professional footballers: A retrospective cohort study

• Published in: Journal of science and medicine in sport 2022-03, Vol.25 (3), p.216-221
• Main Authors: McAuley, Scott, Dobbin, Nick, Morgan, Chris, Goodwin, Peter C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Athletic Injuries; BAMIC; Classification; Cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; Hamstring injury; Hamstring Muscles - diagnostic imaging; Hamstring Muscles - injuries; Humans; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medical personnel; Medical records; Pain; Professional football; Professional soccer; Rehabilitation; Reinjuries; Retrospective Studies; Return to Sport; Soccer; Sports injuries; Tendon; Tendons; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1440-2440; 1878-1861
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2021.10.005

In one English Premier League football club over four seasons, 1) describe the number of hamstring strain injuries (HSI) sustained using the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification (BAMIC); 2) determine if intramuscular tendon HSI influenced the time to return to play (TTRTP) and reinjury rate; 3) determine the predictors of TTRTP and reinjury. Retrospective cohort design. All first team players who sustained a HSI between 2014 and 2018 were included. Players underwent an MRI scan that was graded by a Radiologist using the BAMIC (0a-4) criteria. TTRTP, reinjury rate and information on suspected predictors were recorded. Thirty-five HSI experienced by 24 players (age = 26 ± 4 years) were recorded over the 4 seasons. There was a difference in TTRTP between grades 1a and 2c (P = 0.007), but not between 2b and 2c (P = 0.845). Grade of HSI (P ≤ 0.001) and removal of the player (P