TOPIC

Sports research

Everything we have read on sports. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

1,148 PAPERS · PAGE 21 OF 23 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOther2025Sports Injuries and Care Provided by the Physiotherapy Service of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (BOC) during the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Summer Games.International journal of sports physical therapyOf 422 Brazilian athletes referred to physiotherapy at the Rio 2016 Games, judo and handball generated the most treatments. Tendinopathies and shoulder pain were the top issues. Manual therapy and electrotherapy were the most common procedures, reflecting acute symptom management rather than long-term rehab.
• PTOther2025Interdisciplinary Health and Performance Management of the Sliding Athlete: A Clinical Commentary.International journal of sports physical therapyThis commentary describes the unique demands and risks of sliding sports like bobsled and luge. It offers anecdotal recommendations for medical management and training but reports no study results or tested interventions.
• PTOther2025Baseline Functional Testing in Competitive Youth Swimmers.International journal of sports physical therapyYouth swimmers show wide variation in upper extremity functional test scores by sex and age. Limb symmetry indices were similar across groups, suggesting they may be a more useful comparison metric than raw repetition counts for this population.
• PTOther2025The Influence of Coronal Strike Stance Angle on Kicking Mechanics in Adolescent Female Soccer Players.International journal of sports physical therapyGreater stance limb angle was associated with knee loading linked to ACL risk factors on non-dominant kicks and greater ankle bend on dominant kicks, but many other links were not found. A direct causal link to ACL injury has not been established.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Validation of heart rate measured by the consumer-level wearable device Fitbit: a cross-sectional observational study.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe Fitbit Inspire 3 generally underestimated heart rate by 2.60 beats/min. Accuracy was high for most tasks, but error exceeded 10% during slow walking. Clinicians should account for this systematic underestimation when prescribing low-intensity exercises.
• PTOther2025Phase angle and trunk muscle mass as distinguishing factors between regular and non-regular players in amateur soccer teams.Journal of physical therapy scienceRegular players had higher phase angle and trunk muscle mass than non-regular players. A phase angle cut-off of 5.65° caught most regular players, but many non-regular players were also classified as regular, so it should not decide team selection alone.
• PTCohort2026Reference values for muscle stiffness and asymmetry using myotonometry: a pilot study.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapyHandheld myotonometry gave preliminary stiffness and asymmetry ranges for seven muscles in 26 healthy young adults. Men were stiffer overall, but sex-specific ranges are needed; age, BMI, and weekly exercise did not show clear differences.
• PTCase Report2026Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Wrist Pain and Function: A Case Report of an Elite Tennis Player.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyAn 18-year-old tennis player with wrist pain completed four weeks of low-load blood flow restriction training alongside standard physiotherapy. Her pain catastrophizing scores dropped from 43 to 9, and her ability to grip a racket and lift a kit bag improved substantially. One person, not a pattern.
• PTOther2025Analysis of Neuromuscular Control and Sensory and Psychological Anxiety Affecting Shock Absorption Capacity in Patients After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery.International journal of sports physical therapyHigher muscle co-contraction and worse knee position sense were linked to harder landings after ACL reconstruction. Psychological readiness scores showed no such link. The study was small, cross-sectional, and cannot prove that treating these factors improves landing mechanics.
• PTOther2026Isokinetic dynamometry assessment of the transition period between eccentric and concentric hamstring contractions in athletes with a history of hamstring injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThe pause between slow lengthening and fast shortening hamstring contractions did not differ between athletes with prior hamstring injury and healthy controls. Injured athletes had higher fast shortening strength and a higher ratio of fast shortening to slow lengthening strength.
• PTCohort2025Cardiopulmonary Reactivity in Bulgarian National Taekwon-Do Team Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyResting heart rate and a recovery index did not change after the camp. After the step test, blood pressure fell and load tolerance improved, so cardiopulmonary reactivity showed mixed adaptation.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Collaborative practice to support community-based physical activity for young people with childhood-onset physical disability: A scoping review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNine strategies helped healthcare and community providers collaborate to support physical activity for young people with disability. However, these strategies were rarely defined clearly enough to copy, and none were evaluated for their effect on participation.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Interventions for children with developmental coordination disorder: A scoping review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMost interventions for children with coordination difficulties reported improved motor performance, but few measured real-life participation or social impact. Delivery in groups, schools, or one-to-one sessions all showed benefits, though diagnostic criteria were often poorly reported.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Agreement of Clinical Grade and Laboratory Grade Force Plates for Countermovement Jump Metrics in Youth Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyClinical force plates agree with lab equipment on jump height and peak force in youth athletes, but differ significantly on impulse measures. Do not swap impulse data between systems, as the numbers are not interchangeable.
• PTCohort2025Musculoskeletal Injuries and Illness in Professional British Tennis Players: An Injury Surveillance Study.International journal of sports physical therapyAmong 33 players, medical illness was the most frequent problem, wrist injuries were the most common ongoing issue, and ankle injuries had the highest average time lost or modified per injury.
• PTCohort2025Injury and Illness Surveillance at the 2024 Hockey Australia U/18 National Championships.International journal of sports physical therapyYouth hockey athletes reported many injuries and illnesses during the tournament. Self-report identified 135 new injuries, while first-aid officers recorded 13. Knee, lower leg/achilles and ankle were the most common injury areas.
• PTOTSLPOther2025The Effect of Executive Cognitive Distraction on Sustaining a Volitional Preemptive Abdominal Contraction During a Unipedal Functional Movement in Healthy Participants.International journal of sports physical therapyHealthy participants successfully maintained abdominal bracing during a single-leg reach test even while distracted by an auditory task. However, distraction reduced reach distance in the posteromedial direction, suggesting complex movements may be more vulnerable to cognitive load than simple ones.
• PTOther2025From the International Federation of Sports Physiotherapy to the International Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy Association: Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy.International journal of sports physical therapyThis article reviews the 25-year history of the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy and its rebranding to the International Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy Association. It outlines organizational milestones and future strategic goals but contains no clinical data or patient outcomes to guide treatment decisions.
• PTOTCohort2026Effects of a Multimodal Neurorehabilitation Program on Gross Motor Function and Activity and Participation Performance in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A 9-Month Longitudinal Study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyChildren in GMFCS levels I–III improved gross motor function, mobility and social function over nine months. Levels IV–V improved only in sitting, with no change in daily activity performance. Since all children received multiple therapies together, the specific contribution of any single treatment cannot be separated.
• PTSurvey2026Prevalence of Hamstring Injuries in Collegiate Softball Players and Comparison to Collegiate Baseball Players.International journal of sports physical therapyCollegiate softball players self-reported hamstring problems more often than baseball players, but the overall difference was not significant. Injured softball players had worse hamstring symptom scores, and softball pitchers reported more hamstring injury than baseball pitchers.
• PTCase Report2026Rehabilitation Incorporating a Stroke Efficiency Analysis in a Male Tennis Player with Scapular Dyskinesis: A Case Report.International journal of sports physical therapyA tennis coach with shoulder pain and scapular dyskinesis completed 20 physical therapy sessions over four months. His pain dropped to 0/10, and he returned to serving and coaching without symptoms at six-month follow-up.
• PTOther2026Knee-Related Function and Psychological Aspects After ACL Reconstruction Among Individuals With and Without Kinesiophobia: A Mixed-Methods Study.International journal of sports physical therapyPatients with high fear of movement reported significantly worse knee-related quality of life than those with low fear, despite similar physical function scores. Both groups experienced fear and activity avoidance, but those with high fear showed less confidence and fewer coping strategies.
• PTOther2026Clinical Utility of the Japanese Version of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic Shoulder and Elbow Score for Detecting Upper Extremity Dysfunction in High-School Baseball Players.International journal of sports physical therapyHigh school baseball players who reported symptoms had lower J-KJOC scores than asymptomatic players. A cutoff of 87.6 points helped identify symptomatic players, while physical measures did not separate the groups.
• PTOther2025Isokinetic evaluation of knee muscles and correlation of maximum torque of the extensors of the operated knee with thigh circumference in soccer players 2 years after ACL reconstruction: A cross-sectional study.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoTwo years after ACL reconstruction, operated knees had lower extensor torque at 60, 180 and 300 degrees per second, but not at 400 or 500 degrees per second. Non-operated thighs were larger at 20 cm, and size tracked extensor torque.
• PTNarrative Review2026Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in the Evaluation of the Knee Menisci.International journal of sports physical therapyNo patients or outcomes are reported. This review explains knee meniscus ultrasound scanning.
• PTSystematic Review2026Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Rehabilitation Utilizing Gait Metrics as Outcomes - A Scoping Review.International journal of sports physical therapyFew studies test gait-targeted rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction. Some acute changes occurred, but several programs followed up for two years did not improve walking mechanics. There is no standard gait intervention ready for routine practice.
• PTCase Report2026Chronic Infrapatellar Fat Pad Fibrosis: Hoffa's Disease, a Commonly Unrecognized Source of Anterior Knee Pain - A Report of Two Cases.International journal of sports physical therapyWhen fat pad lidocaine injection let these patients run with less pain, arthroscopy showed fibrotic scar tissue. Resection was followed by relief, but cases cannot prove surgery works.
• PTMeta-Analysis2026Addressing Shoulder Weakness in Individuals With Rotator Cuff-Related Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyExercise-based rehabilitation improved shoulder strength in people with rotator cuff-related shoulder pain, with the largest gains when strengthening was the main focus. The review could not compare one programme against another, and about four in ten studies were at high risk of bias.
• PTQualitative2026Perceptions of Biomechanical Devices in Collegiate Baseball Pitchers and Training Staff: A Qualitative Study.International journal of sports physical therapyPitchers and staff said the pitching sleeve and the force plate made workload, fatigue and recovery visible, and pitchers used the numbers to set goals and change training. Staff struggled to interpret the outputs, and fitting the devices into existing systems was a burden.
• PTNarrative Review2026Rehabilitation of Capitellar Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) Lesions in Gymnasts: A Review of Current Concepts and Treatment.International journal of sports physical therapyNo patients were treated and no outcomes were measured. This is an expert-authored rehabilitation framework for gymnasts after surgery for capitellar osteochondritis dissecans, built from existing literature and the authors' own clinical experience.
• PTSurvey2026Utilization of Imaging in Young Athletes with Low Back Pain.International journal of sports physical therapyMost sports medicine physicians surveyed (68% of 397) order lumbar X-rays at the first visit for a young athlete with extension-based back pain, and 13.1% order MRI, CT or SPECT then as well. This is what they report doing, not evidence that imaging helps.
• PTCohort2026Evaluation of Reactive Strength Index During Single-Limb Vertical Jumps and Isokinetic Strength Five to Eight Months After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.International journal of sports physical therapyIn athletes after hamstring-graft ACL reconstruction, reactive strength on single-leg jumps tracked quadriceps strength at five and seven months but not by eight months. Jump symmetry stayed below the return-to-sport threshold.
• PTCase Report2026A Multimodal Approach for the Management of Moderate Hip Osteoarthritis in A Runner: A Case Report.International journal of sports physical therapyHip pain dropped from 61 to 52 out of 100 and function improved from 32 to 50 out of 80 after six weeks of manual therapy, exercise and graded running. This is one 75-year-old runner, so it cannot show the programme works.
• PTNarrative Review2026Current Concepts in Hip and Core Assessment to Reduce the Risk of ACL Injury.International journal of sports physical therapy
• PTNarrative Review2026Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy with Haglund's Deformity: A Progressive Approach to Post-Operative Rehabilitation in Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyNot a study. This is a clinical commentary proposing a five-stage post-operative rehabilitation programme after Haglund's deformity removal and Achilles debridement in athletes. It reports no patients and no outcomes, so nothing here is evidence the protocol works.
• PTCase Series2026ACL Rehabilitation Plateaus Across Athlete Populations: Two Case Reports and a Clinical Framework for Identifying Functional Stagnation.International journal of sports physical therapyTwo athletes stalled in ACL rehabilitation despite adhering to their programs. One avoided heavy weights and stayed more than 25% weaker on the operated leg, returning only to recreational play. The other lost three months of rehab, then got back to competitive football.
• PTRCT2026The Effects of the Abdominal Drawing-In Maneuver on Intra-Abdominal Pressure and Torque During Trunk Rotation.International journal of sports physical therapyDrawing the lower abdomen in during a maximal trunk rotation dropped intra-abdominal pressure from 96.7 to 34.9 mmHg and rotational torque from 68.7 to 49.1 Nm, compared with rotating without any abdominal instruction. The authors suggest bracing or the Valsalva for high-load rotational tasks.
• PTSystematic Review2026Variability in Terminal Phase Timing and Return-to-Sport Criteria in ACL Reconstruction Rehabilitation Protocols: A Scoping Review of U.S. Academic Institutions.International journal of sports physical therapyFewer than half of 119 publicly posted ACL rehabilitation protocols say what a patient must pass before returning to sport, and those that do disagree on the tests and thresholds. Where an end point is given, the final phase finishes at about seven months.
• PTNarrative Review2026Why Your Patient May Need a Bankart Repair Plus Remplissage.International journal of sports physical therapyA clinical commentary on adding remplissage to Bankart repair. It explains the technique and reviews other studies' results, but reports no patients of its own, so there is no new finding here to act on.
• PTPilot2026An Exploratory Analysis of Countermovement Jump Variables Between Higher and Lower Performers on the LESS and Y-Balance Tests.International journal of sports physical therapyCollegiate athletes who scored worse on the LESS drop-jump screen landed more stiffly on force plates, and those with a right-left reach difference over 4 cm jumped with greater mRSI, longer propulsion and higher landing force. Most comparisons showed no difference, and this underpowered pilot cannot show these tests predict injury.
• PTCase Report2026Multiligamentous Knee Reconstruction Complicated by Septic Arthritis Following Cosmetic Surgery, A Case Report.International journal of sports physical therapyA recreational athlete's knee reconstruction was complicated by septic arthritis 11 days after elective cosmetic surgery, yet she returned to interval jogging by 16 weeks and coaching gymnastics by 6.5 months. One person, so nothing here proves the rehab protocol works.
• PTOther2026Reliability of a Novel Qualitative Assessment Tool for Evaluating a Run Plant Task.International journal of sports physical therapyA video checklist for judging trunk and leg alignment during a run-and-plant task was not reliable enough to guide decisions about an athlete on its own. Raters agreed moderately on two items: trunk-in-line-with-shin and the foot pointing inwards.
• PTNarrative Review2026Determining force-velocity isokinetic capacities to individualize muscle strengthening in sports rehabilitation.International journal of sports physical therapyThe argument here is that testing strength at one movement speed hides why a patient can hit a strength target yet still move slowly. Sampling several speeds, the authors say, tells you what to train. No patients were tested.
• PTQualitative2026Stakeholder Perceptions of an Abbreviated Survey to Assess the Accessibility of Community-Based Physical Activity for People With Limited Mobility.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPeople with mobility limitations said what separated a usable gym from a wasted trip: staff trained and ready to help, working equipment and elevators, and facilities that delivered what they advertised. They rated the draft accessibility survey usable but wanted symbols and fewer items.
• PTOther2026Reaching a consensus on a patellofemoral pain syndrome self-management programme for recreational cyclists in Saudi Arabia: A modified Delphi study.The South African journal of physiotherapyExperts agreed that a self-management programme for Saudi recreational cyclists with patellofemoral pain should cover pain education, self-screening, cycling-specific bike adjustments, Arabic-language resources and scheduling that fits around religious practice. Nothing here has been tested on patients yet.
• PTRCT2026Functional impact of gluteal tendinopathy: A secondary cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the LEAP randomised clinical trial.Brazilian journal of physical therapyWalking, running, sitting and sleeping were the activities people with gluteal tendinopathy most often said their hip limited, and they rated their ability to do them at 4.6 out of 10 on average. Sex and activity level made no difference to that.
• PTCohort2026Perceptions of the Likelihood and Importance of Physical Activity Outcomes at 14 Years Affects Physical Fitness at 17 Years.Child: care, health and developmentTeenagers stayed active mostly for fun, fitness and friends, and those reasons barely shifted between 14 and 17. Boys and girls who expected activity to keep them fit and healthy were the fittest later; girls who feared being mocked were least fit.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Effects of hydrokinesitherapy on balance and walking ability for stroke survivors: update of a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineWater-based exercise improved stroke survivors' balance on some tests but not others: Berg Balance Scale scores improved by a moderate amount, while the Timed Up and Go did not. Evidence was insufficient for walking ability or daily activities.
• PTCohort2026Limb Dominance Does Not Affect Y-Balance Performance in Young Athletes 12 Weeks After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.International journal of sports physical therapyWhich leg was injured made no difference to Y-Balance reach distances 12 weeks after ACL surgery in 106 young athletes. Scores on the surgical and non-surgical sides were the same whether the torn ligament was in the dominant or non-dominant leg.
• PTMeta-Analysis2026Effects of physical therapy modalities for early postoperative pain following total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesCryotherapy, kinesio taping, electroacupuncture and manual lymphatic drainage each reduced early pain after knee replacement more than a control group, but evidence quality was low to very low. Continuous passive motion showed no benefit.