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 7 OF 23 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTCase-Control2021Kinematic Characteristics of Male Runners With a History of Recurrent Calf Muscle Strain Injury.International journal of sports physical therapyMale runners with recurrent calf strains showed altered hip and pelvis movement, not ankle or knee differences. They exhibited an over-stride pattern with greater forward heel placement and pelvic drop. These proximal kinematics may increase calf demand, suggesting rehabilitation should target hip control.
• PTPilot2021Identifying Risk Factors of Upper Extremity Injuries in Collegiate Baseball Players: A Pilot Study.International journal of sports physical therapyInjured pitchers were stronger, not weaker, at baseline, contradicting the hypothesis. However, weekly workload changes exceeding 33% in either direction preceded 10 of 12 injuries. This pilot suggests monitoring volume spikes and drops may matter more than pre-season strength deficits.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Kinesiology Tape: A Descriptive Survey of Healthcare Professionals in the United States.International journal of sports physical therapyMost clinicians learn kinesiology taping from continuing education and peers, not research. Half use 50% tension for three days. Many skip skin prep or removal instructions. The paper reports what practitioners do, not whether the tape works.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Youth Baseball Caregiver Understanding of Safe Pitching Guidelines and Player Injury.International journal of sports physical therapyMost caregivers of youth pitchers did not know safe pitching guidelines existed. Caregivers who knew the rules monitored pitch counts better. Pitchers throwing breaking balls or pitching for more than six months a year were more likely to report arm pain.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Shoulder Isokinetic Strength Balance Ratio in Overhead Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of sports physical therapyShoulder strength balance ratios differ by sport and sex, so grouping all overhead athletes together is inaccurate. Female softball players had higher conventional ratios, while judo, handball, and tennis players had lower functional ratios than controls.
• PTSurvey2021A Nation-Wide Survey of High School Baseball Coaches' Perceptions Indicates their Arm Care Programs Play a Role in Injury Prevention.International journal of sports physical therapyMost high school baseball coaches use group-based arm care programs, but their knowledge of key injury risks like fatigue and prior injury is poor. Coaches believe they are the primary protectors of player health, yet they rarely individualize exercises or collaborate with medical staff.
• PTOther2021Shoulder Strength and Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test Performance in Division III Collegiate Baseball and Softball Players.International journal of sports physical therapyDIII baseball players showed greater shoulder rotation strength than softball players, while their upper-extremity stability test scores were similar. Baseball strength did not match test performance, so do not use one measure to infer the other.
• PTProtocol2021Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation in Professional Athletes: Rehabilitation and Return to Play.International journal of sports physical therapyA proposed staged knee protocol after osteochondral allograft in athletes emphasizes early extension, partial weight bearing, quadriceps re-education, core work, and progress only when criteria are met. Cited return rates range 75% to 88%.
• PTNarrative Review2021Noncontact Knee Ligament Injury Prevention Screening in Netball: A Clinical Commentary with Clinical Practice Suggestions for Community-Level Players.International journal of sports physical therapyThis paper offers a theoretical framework for screening netball players but reports no new clinical data. It suggests potential tests based on existing literature but does not prove any screening method reduces injury risk.
• PTOther2021Recommendations for Plyometric Training after ACL Reconstruction - A Clinical Commentary.International journal of sports physical therapyThis paper offers expert recommendations for structuring plyometric training after ACL reconstruction, proposing a four-stage progression based on strength and movement quality. It reports no patient outcomes or trial data, so it provides a framework for discussion rather than evidence of efficacy.
• PTNarrative Review2021The Neuroplastic Adaptation Trident Model: A Suggested Novel Framework for ACL Rehabilitation.International journal of sports physical therapyThis paper proposes a theoretical framework for ACL rehabilitation but reports no patients, no outcomes, and no data. There is nothing here to change your practice on.
• PTRCT2021Basic research on the primary prevention of boxing-related sports injuries with the development of a quantitative motion analysis software.Journal of physical therapy scienceProfessional boxers who received video feedback on their defensive gaps allowed fewer hits to land in their next fight. This approach helped them adjust their guard and reduce exposure to head trauma, offering a practical way to lower injury risk.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Hand rehabilitation programmes for second to fifth metacarpal fractures: A systematic literature review.The South African journal of physiotherapyOne high-quality trial found a structured home exercise programme matched or beat traditional physiotherapy for hand movement and function after surgery. Two observational studies suggested early self-managed mobilisation works for non-surgical fractures, but evidence remains limited.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Exploration of Sensory Processing Difficulties among Children Attending Primary School in Denmark.Occupational therapy internationalParents of 1,723 Danish primary school children reported that 21.3% showed definite sensory processing difficulties, with boys more affected than girls. The most common issues were sensory seeking and auditory filtering, suggesting a need for classroom awareness rather than clinical diagnosis.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Nonpharmacological Treatment for Supporting Social Participation of Adults with Depression.Occupational therapy internationalNonpharmacological interventions like animal-assisted therapy, social engagement programs, and behavioral activation can improve social participation and reduce depressive symptoms in adults. However, evidence for improved quality of life is weak, and no single program was proven superior due to varied study designs.
• PTSurvey2021Physiotherapists' use and perceptions of digital remote physiotherapy during COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland: an online cross-sectional survey.Archives of physiotherapySwiss physiotherapists rapidly adopted remote therapy during lockdown, rising from 4.9% to 44.6% of practitioners. Despite this uptake, two-thirds lacked confidence in its future utility, and nearly half offered services without billing, signaling poor integration into standard care.
• PTOther2021Community-based rehabilitation implementation framework to address patellofemoral pain amongst runners in under-resourced communities: Delphi consensus.The South African journal of physiotherapyExperts agreed on a four-part plan for runners with knee pain in poor communities: form a mixed-discipline team, train local helpers to deliver exercises, offer free or low-cost services, and refer complex cases to hospitals. This is a consensus on how to organise care, not proof it works.
• PTOther2021The Non-injured Leg Can Be Used as a Reference for the Injured Leg in Single-legged Hop Tests.International journal of sports physical therapyThe non-injured leg performed like the healthy leg in hop tests, so it can be used as a reference when deciding return to high-impact sports. The injured leg performed worse on some hops, but those differences were small.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Safety and Effectiveness of a Perturbation-based Neuromuscular Training Program on Dynamic Balance in Adolescent Females: A Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of sports physical therapyA five-week perturbation training program was safe for adolescent females but did not improve dynamic balance, strength, proprioception, or flexibility compared to normal activity. The primary outcome was null.
• PTOther2021To What Extent Do Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Biomarkers Relate to Pain, Flexibility, Strength, and Function in Individuals With Chronic Symptomatic Achilles Tendinopathy?Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesUltrasound markers showed only weak links to pain, flexibility, strength, or function, although they could distinguish a symptomatic Achilles tendon from the other side.
• PTOther2021Effect of Increasing Running Cadence on Peak Impact Force in an Outdoor Environment.International journal of sports physical therapyRecreational runners increased cadence by 7.3% using a metronome outdoors, resulting in a 5.6% decrease in peak impact force. The change was immediate, but the study did not confirm if the higher cadence was retained without the audio cues.
• PTOther2021Establishing Normative Values for Inter-Limb Kinetic Symmetry During Landing in Uninjured Adolescent Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyUninjured adolescent athletes typically show 16-20% asymmetry in landing forces. In a small group of post-ACL reconstruction athletes, six of eleven exceeded the 75th percentile of this norm, consistently loading their healthy limb more than the surgical one.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021ICF Personal Factors Strengthen Commitment to Person-Centered Rehabilitation - A Scoping Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesResearchers found that studies on the ICF framework use inconsistent definitions for personal factors, often confusing them with body functions or environmental factors. This lack of standardization makes it difficult to document what truly drives a patient's engagement in rehabilitation.
• PTPilot2021The Role of Fatigue in Return to Sport Testing Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.International journal of sports physical therapyFatigue reduced performance more in the healthy leg than the injured leg in 21 athletes ready for return to sport. This narrows the gap between legs, potentially hiding deficits if testing is done while tired. Assess both limbs in fresh and fatigued states.
• PTSurvey2021Interprofessional Inconsistencies in the Diagnosis of Shoulder Instability: Survey Results of Physicians and Rehabilitation Providers.International journal of sports physical therapySports medicine clinicians disagreed about shoulder instability diagnosis. Physicians leaned on examination tests, while physical therapists and athletic trainers leaned on history. A positive sulcus sign shifted most clinicians toward multidirectional instability.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021An Investigation of the Association between Transversus Abdominis Myofascial Structure and Activation with Age in Healthy Adults using Ultrasound Imaging.International journal of sports physical therapyHealthy adults aged 18 to 77 showed thinner deep abdominal muscles and reduced transversus abdominis activation with age, while the surrounding fascial layers thickened. These ultrasound measurements provide reference values for assessing normal aging, helping distinguish typical changes from pathology.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Risk Factors for Shoulder Injuries in Water Polo: a Cohort Study.International journal of sports physical therapyA history of previous shoulder injury was the strongest predictor of a new injury, increasing odds 6.5 times. Greater scapular upward rotation and loss of internal rotation range of motion were also linked to new injuries, but strength measures showed no consistent association.
• PTCohort2021Professional Baseball Player Type and Geographic Region of Origin Impacts Shoulder External and Internal Rotation Strength.International journal of sports physical therapyPosition players had significantly stronger shoulder rotation than pitchers. Latin American players were stronger than North Americans. These differences suggest pitchers may have relative weaknesses in shoulder strength compared to other professional players.
• PTNarrative Review2021ACL Return to Sport Testing: It's Time to Step up Our Game.International journal of sports physical therapyCurrent ACL return-to-sport criteria rely too heavily on time and symmetry, which often overestimate readiness. Proposed stricter testing includes higher symmetry targets, psychological readiness, and intrinsic risk factors like gender and family history. These recommendations are expert opinion and not yet validated.
• PTOther2021Reducing the energy cost of running using a lightweight, low-profile elastic exosuit.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAcross three band stiffnesses, the suit did not lower running energy cost overall. When each runner's best band was chosen after testing, cost fell 4.7%, but that result was selected after seeing the data.
• PTSurvey2021Mechanical Percussion Devices: A Survey of Practice Patterns Among Healthcare Professionals.International journal of sports physical therapyMost clinicians using percussion devices rely on peer collaboration and anecdotal experience rather than evidence. There are no established guidelines, and treatment settings vary widely among practitioners. This describes current habits, not proven effectiveness.
• PTOTOther2021Incidence of spinal instability among patients with discogenic low back pain with different backgrounds.Journal of physical therapy scienceMore than half of patients with discogenic low back pain showed spinal instability on X-ray. This instability was not linked to age, gender, sports activity, or occupation. These findings describe who has instability but do not prove that instability causes pain or that specific treatments work.
• PTSurvey2021Attitudes, perceptions and barriers around evidence-based practice in sports physiotherapy in Kenya.The South African journal of physiotherapyKenyan physiotherapists mostly supported evidence-based practice, but time was the biggest barrier. Poor fit of research to sport patients, difficulty applying findings, and limited appraisal and statistics skills were also common.
• PTSurvey2021Overuse Injury, Substance Use, and Resilience in Collegiate Female Athlete.International journal of sports physical therapyResilience did not show a link to pain, overuse injury, or substance use among 230 female collegiate athletes. Pain was reported by 45.0% and overuse injury by 52.0%.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Menstrual Irregularity, Hormonal Contraceptive Use, and Bone Stress Injuries in Collegiate Female Athletes in the United States.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationMost female collegiate athletes use hormonal contraceptives, often to mask irregular periods rather than treat underlying energy deficits. Injectable contraceptives were associated with higher odds of stress fractures compared to oral pills, while past menstrual irregularity alone showed no such link.
• PTOTSurvey2022Individual and cumulative health afflictions are associated with greater impairment in physical and mental function in former professional American style football players.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationFormer NFL players with more self-reported health conditions reported worse physical and mental function. Chronic pain had the strongest association; sleep apnea, cardiometabolic disease, and neurocognitive impairment were also associated with impairment.
• PTOTCohort2021Risk Factors for the Development of Shoulder Pain in Elite Sled Hockey Players.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation70.5% of elite sled hockey players reported shoulder pain in the past month. Heavier weight and more years of manual wheelchair use were linked to pain. The study cannot show cause.
• PTOTCohort2022Shoulder pain and ultrasound findings: A comparison study of wheelchair athletes, nonathletic wheelchair users, and nonwheelchair users.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationWheelchair athletes did not have more shoulder pain or ultrasound-detected pathology than nonathletic wheelchair users. Athletes exercised their shoulders more often. Basketball players reported higher pain scores, but the study was too small to confirm this as a risk.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Repetitive Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder adults with a first head injury face a 3% annual risk of a second one. Epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson's, depression, and atrial fibrillation significantly raise this risk. These factors should trigger aggressive fall prevention and close monitoring for further head trauma.
• PTSurveyPrescription Opioid Misuse and Sports-Related Concussion Among High School Students in the United States.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationHigh school students who reported a concussion were more likely to report prescription opioid misuse: 9.8% versus 5.5%. The link persisted after accounting for age, sex, depressive symptoms, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use.
• PTOTCohort2021Digital Rehabilitation for Acute Ankle Sprains: Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPatients with acute ankle sprains who completed a fully remote digital rehabilitation program reported significant reductions in pain and improvements in function over six months. Because this study had no control group, these results describe what happened to patients using the app, not proof that the app works better than standard care.
• PTOther2021Testing of a Self-administered 6-Minute Walk Test Using Technology: Usability, Reliability and Validity Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHealthy young adults found the EasyMeasure app easy and acceptable, but none calculated the 6-minute walk distance correctly. They lost lap counts or misread scores, so this app version is not accurate enough for independent use.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021The Association Between Concussion History and Increased Symptom Severity Reporting Is Independent of Common Medical Comorbidities, Personality Factors, and Sleep Quality in Collegiate Athletes.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationCollegiate athletes with more prior concussions reported higher symptom severity and distress, even after accounting for sleep quality and personality. Orthopedic injury history did not show this link, suggesting the symptoms reflect brain injury effects rather than general physical trauma.
• PTRCT2021Combination taping technique versus ankle foot orthosis on improving gait parameters in spastic cerebral palsy: A controlled randomized study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, adding either a solid AFO or combination taping to conventional physical therapy for 4 weeks improved walking speed, step length, stride length and single-limb support versus therapy alone. Cadence did not change.
• PTOther2021Interactive Effects of Enalapril Administration and Novel HIIT Wheel-Bed Training in Aged Rats.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAged rats completed a new high-intensity interval training protocol on a forced running wheel-bed without electric shocks. After four weeks, the exercised rats doubled their endurance time compared to sedentary controls. Adding the drug enalapril did not further improve performance.
• PTSurvey2022Athlete-Perceived Impact of Frame Running on Physical Fitness, Functional Mobility and Psychosocial Outcomes.Journal of rehabilitation medicineMost Frame Running athletes reported enjoyment, confidence and better perceived walking or transfers; only 4 had lasting injuries and 7 reported increased muscle tightness. These are self-reported survey views, not proof the activity improves fitness.
• PTOTPilot2022Altered white matter diffusivity and subtle motor function in a pilot cohort of adolescents with sports-related concussion.Brain injuryAdolescents with recent concussion showed subtle motor deficits and higher mean diffusivity in the superior corona radiata. This brain measure correlated with worse motor scores. These findings suggest subtle motor tests may reflect white matter changes, but the small pilot sample cannot confirm this as a diagnostic marker.
• PTOther2021Beyond the Diagnosis: Using Patient Characteristics and Domains of Tendon Health to Identify Latent Subgroups of Achilles Tendinopathy.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyAchilles tendinopathy patients grouped into three profiles: active, psychosocial, and tendon-structure. The tendon-structure group had the worst tendon measures and heel-rise work. These profiles describe patients, not treatments that were tested.
• PTOther2021Lumbopelvic sagittal standing posture associations with anthropometry, physical activity levels and trunk muscle endurance in healthy adults.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoBetter abdominal endurance was associated with less lumbar lordosis in young adults, though the study was underpowered for this finding. Sex influenced standing posture, but BMI, physical activity levels, and back muscle endurance showed no significant association with lumbopelvic alignment.
• PTOther2021Integrating neurocognitive challenges into injury prevention training: A clinical commentary.Physical therapy in sport : official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports MedicineThis is a clinical commentary proposing a framework for adding neurocognitive challenges to group injury prevention training. It reports no patients, no methods, and no outcomes, so there is no finding here to act on.