Nonoperative Management of a Severe Proximal Rectus Femoris Musculotendinous Injury in a Recreational Athlete: A Case Report.

The report describes a single case, so it cannot show whether the outcome was due to treatment, natural healing, or any single component of care. MRI was obtained 2 weeks after injury because of insurance and scheduling, so early imaging was not available. Ultrasound could not characterize the injury grade, so early clinical classification was limited. The patient was a highly active 37-year-old competitive club soccer player with prior lower-limb injuries, so the course may not apply to less active or older patients. Return to play was reported by the authors and patient satisfaction, not by standardized outcome measures. At 3–4 months he still had slight weakness and lack of confidence, and at 1 year he had intermittent discomfort after matches and intense training. Follow-up MRI at 28.5 months was performed for research only.

Do not conclude that nonoperative physical therapy caused the return to sport. This report describes a single patient who also used ice, compression, and ibuprofen, and there was no comparison group, so the contribution of any component cannot be separated.