Open research questions in Sports injuries and prevention

What the literature leaves open

• Several limitations should be considered when interpreting these findings. The cross-sectional design precludes causal inference and limits the ability to establish temporal relationships between exposure, injury, and recovery outcomes. Data were collected exclusively through self-reported questionnaires, without objective verification by medical record review or clinical examination, introducing the potential for recall bias, reporting bias, and injury misclassification. Because ankle sprain history was self-reported, mild injuries may have been underreported, whereas recurrent injuries may have been overreported. The predefined 12-month recall period may have reduced reporting accuracy, particularly for less severe injuries. Recall reliability was not formally assessed, and a post-hoc sensitivity analysis using a shorter recall period was not feasible because such data were not collected. Participant recruitment through convenience sampling and social media platforms may also have introduced selection bias by preferentially enrolling individuals who were more active, engaged with padel, or health-conscious than the broader amateur padel population. Because participation was voluntary, the response rate could not be determined, and the characteristics of participants and non-participants could not be compared, thereby limiting the representativeness and generalizability of the findings. Generalizability is further constrained by the inclusion of amateur padel players from a single geographic region. Moreover, the absence of objective clinical and biomechanical assessments limited the comprehensive evaluation of injury severity and functional impairment, while self-reported pain scores may have been influenced by individual differences in pain perception and thresholds. Residual confounding is also possible because several potentially important variables, including previous musculoskeletal injuries other than ankle sprains, baseline lower extremity muscle strength, sport-specific training volume (e.g., frequency of matches or training sessions), and BMI categorized according to established clinical classifications, were not assessed and may have influenced both injury risk and functional outcomes. Future prospective longitudinal studies incorporating objective clinical verification, biomechanical and functional assessments, shorter follow-up intervals, and comprehensive adjustment for relevant confounding variables are needed to better establish causal relationships and evaluate the effectiveness of targeted injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies in reducing ankle sprain incidence and long-term functional deficits among padel players.

  Functional outcomes and rehabilitation behaviors following ankle sprain in amateur padel players: a cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

• First, limited evidence from two independent prospective cohort studies yields a pooled HR/RR = 1. Third, limited evidence from one prospective cohort study [18] suggests that the concurrent combination of training load escalation and sleep reduction may confer an injury hazard ratio of 2. However, the evidence base comprises only two independ- ent cohorts in the primary meta-analysis, one adult-cohort exception, and three studies in narrative synthesis only; this constitutes limited evidence insufficient to underpin clinical guidelines.

  Sleep quality and training load as determinants of musculoskeletal injury risk in adolescent athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Eccentric exercises, particularly the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE), are effective in reducing injury incidence, yet their morphological adaptations remain underexplored.

  Effect of Hamstring Exercises on Morphological Parameters of the Hamstring Muscle: A Systematic Review With MRI and USI Findings · 2026 · DOI

• Findings will provide insight into how medical staff address PF health within elite Athletics, highlighting potential gaps in knowledge and clinical practice.

  Knowledge and practice toward pelvic floor health: a cross-sectional study protocol within the medical staff of national Athletics teams · 2026 · DOI

• 1. It is necessary to identify the target threshold for the relevant tissue and for each type of muscle contraction (concentric, isometric, and eccentric). Training load should not be controlled only by repetitions, sets, or the apparent quality of exercise performance, such as the level of control displayed by the athlete. This approach would save time and accelerate tissue development toward improved muscle strength and tissue efficiency. 2. Modern devices should be provided to prescribe training doses according to the player's threshold level. The player may then be loaded approximately 2% to 10% above that threshold using the NordBord device and according to competition demands, to avoid overuse injuries related to excessive competitive intensity and training load during performance development. 3. Advanced technological devices should be used to detect injury risk by identifying differences in maximal force among the main types of muscle action: concentric, isometric, and eccentric. When maximal eccentric force is lower than maximal isometric force, this should be considered a risk factor according to muscle-contraction principles and the relevant scientific literature.

  Comparing the maximum strength of the static and eccentric pectoral muscles of the quadriceps as an indicator of injury in professional football players · 2026 · DOI

• However, limitations include the small number of avail- able studies and significant heterogeneity in study pop- ulations and measured variables. Only two similar out- comes; MIS and DF ROM, were reported, restricting the meta-analysis, while only one trial assessed the effect of AS on injury reduction. Additionally, methodological in- consistencies such as variations in stretching protocols (e.g., static vs. dynamic, duration ranging from 3 to 12 weeks) and diversity in outcome measurement tools (e.g., WBLT in cm vs. photographic angle assessments) may have influenced the generalizability of the findings and reduced comparability between studies. The focus on studies in English may also introduce language bias. Furthermore, most studies were not conducted in com- petitive settings, limiting real-world applicability, and only two RCTs met 'good' quality criteria, highlighting the need for more high-quality research.

  Effectiveness of active stretching during training for injury prevention and performance enhancement in sports: A systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Another limitation of this study is the inability to distinguish time-loss injuries Injuries. Therefore, caution is warranted in extrapolating these results to global taekwondo populations, and future re- search involving multi-national or cross-cultural sam- ples is recommended to enhance external validity.

  Comparative Analysis of in-Competition Sports Injuries in Different Taekwondo Tournaments: Seniors, Juniors and Para-Taekwondo · 2026 · DOI

• injuries including the nose, eye and ear were the most common ones in JTC. Among these, almost all of the face injuries occurred as nosebleeds. We think that the higher number of face injuries in JTC is related to the knowledge, sports age and skill level of the athletes [17,18]. In our study, we analysed the incidence, type, site, mechanism and severity of injuries in tournaments. Physicians knowledgeable and experienced in sports-related injuries have diagnosed and recorded injuries in the field. While the present study provides valuable insights into injury patterns across different taekwondo The most common injury mechanism observed during athlete categories, this study has several limitations that the three national tournaments was contact with anothshould be acknowledged. As a retrospective analysis, er athlete, followed by non-contact injuries. Similar to the research relied on existing injury records, which may previous studies, contact with another athlete was the have been influenced by inconsistencies in documentamost common injury mechanism in competition. In tion and reporting practices. Potential reporting bias taekwondo, a combat sport, most injuries still occur could arise from under-reporting of minor injuries or during attack and defence movements. Therefore, to subjective interpretation of injury severity by medical prevent contact-type injuries, the amount of impact abstaff. In addition, variability among observers in identisorbed by protective equipment should be increased, fying and classifying injuries, as well as differences in and more shock-absorbing protective equipment coaches' or athletes' willingness to report injuries may should be developed. Appropriate blocking techhave affected the accuracy and completeness of the niques and defence skills should be included more in dataset. These factors could influence the internal validtaekwondo training as preventive strategies. ity of the findings. To improve data reliability in future In our study, withdrawal from the competition and hospital referral of the athlete were similar in STC and JTC after injuries that occurred during the competitions. studies, prospective designs with standardized injury surveillance protocols and inter-observer calibration are recommended. However, only one athlete withdrew from the competi- The data were collected from national-level competition in PTC and no athlete was referred to hospital.

  Comparative Analysis of in-Competition Sports Injuries in Different Taekwondo Tournaments: Seniors, Juniors and Para-Taekwondo · 2026 · DOI

• While causal inferences remain limited by the small number and heterogeneity of available studies, integrating epidemiological and mechanistic evidence provides a framework for understanding sprint-related HSI mechanisms and may inform injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies.

  Sprint Biomechanics Associated With Hamstring Strain Injury in Football: A Systematic Review and Mechanistic Synthesis · 2026 · DOI

• The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) may help describe movement patterns associated with previous injury, although its predictive value remains uncertain.

  The Correlation Between Functional Movement Screen Scores and Self-Reported Injury History Among Competitive Male Padel Players: A Cross-Sectional Study · 2026 · DOI

• When interpreting the findings of this meta-analysis, sev- eral limitations should be considered. First, all included studies were non-randomized controlled trials without true randomization or allocation concealment, which limit causal inference and increases the risk of selection bias. Second, considerable methodological and clinical heterogeneity was observed across studies, arising from differences in sport type, participant characteristics, inter- vention duration and frequency, training protocols, and outcome measures. Although a random-effects model was used, the pooled effect sizes should therefore be interpreted with caution. Third, visuomotor reaction and sport-specific performance were assessed using different, albeit valid and reliable, measurement instruments, limit- ing direct comparability and contributing to heterogeneity. In addition, control conditions were more heterogeneous than initially implied. While the main text suggests that most control groups performed identical drills without stroboscopic eyewear, Supplementary Information 4 indi- cates substantial variation, including sham/active controls, active controls, and passive controls. This variability in control group design may have influenced effect estimates and should be explicitly considered when interpreting pooled results. Fourth, control group designs varied sub- stantially, including active and passive controls and the absence of sham eyewear in some studies, which may have influenced effect estimates and precluded subgroup or sensitivity analyses based on control conditions. Finally, excluding studies with insufficient quantitative data may have introduced reporting bias, and the omission of gray literature and trial registries may have increased the risk of publication bias. Moreover, variability in participant char- acteristics (e.g., age, sex, competitive level, training back- ground, and sport discipline) limits the generalizability of the findings, and caution is warranted when extrapolating results to different athlete populations or sporting contexts. Additionally, the review protocol was not registered in any database (e.g., PROSPERO), which may limit the transpar- ency and reproducibility of the study.

  The effects of stroboscopic glasses on visuomotor reaction and sport-specific performance in athletes: a meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

• • Operator Dependency: MSKUS requires skill and experience for accurate interpretation of findings. The ability to sonograph tendons and their respective muscles is largely influenced by the operator and by the availability and technical considerations of stateof-the-art equipment. • Depth Limitations: Visualization is usually not a problem; however, in some individuals, a curvilinear probe may be indicated due to depth. • Artifacts and Shadows: Bone and calcifications may create image artifacts, requiring adjustments in probe positioning and frequency. SONOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE FOR EVALUATING THE LATERAL HAMSTRING EQUIPMENT SETUP • Probe Type: Because of the depth of the proximal hamstring tendon and muscle, a standard high-frequency, linear array probe can usually be utilized. However, in some individuals who have more adipose tissue or larger muscle mass, a lower-frequency curvilinear probe may be required to achieve depth.15‑17 • Patient Position: The patient is in the prone position with the feet over the edge of the table. • Dynamic Assessment: A passive or active movement of knee flexion and extension can be applied during ultrasound assessment to evaluate for lateral hamstring contractile and excursion properties. EXAMINATION PROTOCOL NORMAL SONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE The starting point for examining the proximal hamstring tendon and muscle is at the ischial tuberosity. The ischial tuberosity can almost always be palpated, providing the examiner with a perfect starting point for their scan. The proximal hamstring can be scanned in both the long axis (LAX) and the short axis (SAX). In the LAX view, depending on the probe width and size, one should start proximally to visualize the hyperechoic reflection of the bony cortex of the ischial tuberosity, with its large acoustic shadow underneath. In LAX, the proximal hamstring tendon fibers should be easily seen coming off the attachment of the ischial tuberosity with a clear hyperechoic fibrillar structure running distally from the insertion site. The probe can be turned 90 degrees for viewing in the SAX. If the probe is moved slightly distally in the SAX view, the biceps femoris will appear as a triangular shape. As the examiner moves distally along the biceps muscle belly, the size will decrease until it appears to disappear. In both views, some toggling may be required to reduce anisotropy. PATHOLOGIC FINDINGS IN LATERAL PROXIMAL HAMSTRING TENDON AND MUSCLE INJURY • Disruption of fibrillar pattern in partial tears and ruptures. Proximally, it is important to determine whether the injury is a free-tendon injury or a purely myotendinous injury.18 • Associated swelling and effusion or ischial tuberosity bursitis • Calcifications or retraction of the tendon near the enthesis sites.

  Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in the Evaluation of the Lateral Proximal Hamstring (Biceps Femoris) · 2026 · DOI

• Several limitations should be considered. First, all included studies were observational, introducing potential residual confounding and limiting causal inference. Second, Expo- sure assessment was heterogeneous and most often based on self-reported heading frequency, with some studies using cumulative models and few employing objective mea- sures. Differences in capturing exposure burden and limited adjustment for modifiers contributed to heterogeneity and reduced comparability across studies. Third, diffusion MRI metrics are sensitive but non-specific, and cannot directly distinguish between reversible microstructural adaptation and permanent injury. Fourth, secondary outcomes were limited by small sample sizes, heterogeneous reporting, and lack of extractable variance estimates, reducing certainty of evidence. One morphometry study, Oliveira et al. [14], con- tributed disproportionate statistical weight due to its larger sample size. Although sensitivity analyses confirmed the stability of the pooled estimate, this predominance should be taken into account when interpreting the structural MRI findings. Only four to five studies contributed to the quantitative syntheses for individual imaging modalities, limiting statis- tical precision and the ability to assess publication bias or explore sources of heterogeneity. In addition, the possibility of publication bias should be considered, as studies report- ing imaging abnormalities may be more likely to be pub- lished than those reporting null results. Finally, although some cohorts involved professional athletes, several studies included non-elite players and sub- stantial numbers of female participants. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at h t t p s : / / d o i . o r g / 1 0 . 1 0 0 7 / s 0 0 2 3 4 - 0 2 6 - 0 4 0 4 0 - 6 . Author contribution TT -whole manuscript. Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The work was conducted independently without financial support. Data availability No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

  Brain MRI findings associated with soccer heading: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Despite the promising results, this study has several important limitations. The most significant is the extreme class imbalance, with very few injury events relative to the total number of observations. This is further compounded by the small overall sample size of injury cases, which limits the diversity of observed patterns and can introduce variability in model performance across folds. Additionally, the labeling strategy assumes that the final healthy session prior to injury represents the highest-risk state. While practical, this simplification may not fully capture the temporal buildup of injury risk, as elevated risk likely develops over multiple preceding days. As a result, some true high-risk periods may be labeled as non-injury, introducing noise into the learning process. Another limitation is the feature scope, as the models rely primarily on external workload metrics derived from GPS data. Other relevant factors such as sleep, nutrition, soreness, and subjective wellness measures were not included, which may limit the ability to fully capture an athlete’s readiness and overall injury risk. Finally, the limited coverage of force plate (CMJ) data restricted its use in the final modeling pipeline. Although CMJ features were engineered, incomplete data availability made them unsuit- able for consistent integration, leaving their potential contribution to injury prediction as an open area for future work.

  A Machine Learning Approach to Identification of Elevated Non-Contact Injury Risk in Collegiate Football Using GPS Monitoring Athlete Data · 2026 · DOI

• Several directions can be explored to further improve the modeling framework and enhance its practical utility in a sports performance setting. First, improving the integration of CMJ (force plate) data represents a key opportunity. Future work should focus on developing more robust alignment strategies, handling missing data more effectively, or incorporating methods that can leverage partially observed readiness signals. Suc- cessfully integrating CMJ data could provide a more complete representation of the interaction between workload and physiological readiness. 18 Second, the development of personalized models at the position level offers a promising avenue for improvement. Different positions exhibit distinct workload profiles and movement demands, as reflected in the variability of athlete-relative load patterns across groups. Training separate models for position groups, or incorporating position-specific adaptations, may allow for more accurate and context-aware injury risk predictions. Finally, translating this framework into a real-time monitoring system is an important step toward practical deployment. This would involve integrating the model into existing athlete monitoring workflows, enabling daily risk predictions based on incoming data. Such a system could provide coaches and sports science staff with timely insights, allowing for proactive adjustments to training, recovery, and workload management. Together, these directions aim to extend the current work from a predictive modeling study into a fully operational decision-support tool for injury prevention.

  A Machine Learning Approach to Identification of Elevated Non-Contact Injury Risk in Collegiate Football Using GPS Monitoring Athlete Data · 2026 · DOI

• Musculoskeletal injuries related to youth sports activities consti- tute a multifactorial issue driven by complex physiological mecha- nisms. Current research has progressed from characterizing epidemiological patterns to investigating fundamental domains, including growth plate biology, tissue adaptation and maladaptation, hormonal regulation, and sex-specific physiological responses. Contemporary risk factor models incorporate increasingly sophisti- cated frameworks that account for multifaceted interactions among early specialization, skeletal maturity, sex differences, and training load variables. Prevention paradigms are shifting toward personal- ized, context-driven methodologies, with neuromuscular training, athlete education, and individualized load management constituting the foundational elements of integrated intervention strategies. Nevertheless, ongoing academic debates underscore the com- plexity inherent in clinical decision-making, while significant re- search lacunae delineate critical future investigative priorities. Looking ahead, research and practice in this field will advance along the following high-potential directions: First, deep interdisciplinary integration. Future research must transcend disciplinary boundaries between sports medicine, devel- opmental biology, biomechanics, endocrinology, psychology, and rehabilitation engineering. For instance, multidimensional individ- ual injury risk prediction models should be developed by integrating exercise load monitoring, hormone level detection, genetic poly- morphism analysis, and advanced radiomics. A comprehensive understanding and management of the Triad (female and male) in athletes necessitates close collaboration among sports medicine physicians, nutritionists, endocrinologists, and psychologists (Armento et al., 2023; Wong et al., 2025). Second, advancing precision and personalized medicine. The development of personalized injury risk warning and intervention strategies based on biomarkers, wearable device data, and AI algorithms will be at the forefront. Research should focus on developing cost-effective, personalized assessment tools [e.g., im- proving the risk assessment tool in Reference (Schley et al., 2025)] and training protocols that are easy to implement at the commu- nity level. Third, filling research gaps in long-term outcomes and transla- tional research. There is an urgent need to initiate large-scale, long- term prospective cohort studies tracking adolescent athletes into adulthood or even middle age to clarify the long-term sequelae of early sports injuries. Concurrently, research in implementation science should be strengthened, focusing on exploring how to integrate evidence-based preventive measures (such as Neuromuscular Training) into adolescent sports training systems across different levels and contexts with high fidelity and high compliance, thereby truly bridging the gap from Research to Practice (Lau et al., 2025b). Fourth, strengthening attention to psychosocial dimensions. Routinely integrating mental health screening and interventions into the post-injury management process for adolescent athletes, and developing effective strategies to encourage a safe sports participation culture and timely Injury Reporting Behavior, are crucial for safeguarding their physical and mental well-being (Park et al., 2023; Cheever et al., 2024).

  Physiological mechanisms and organism response in youth sports activities-related musculoskeletal injuries · 2026 · DOI

• Weak physes and traction apophyses, rapid longitudinal growth, low energy availability, sex-hormone disturbance, and asynchronous muscle–tendon adaptation together create a distinctive injury-prone developmental milieu. Experimental work also suggests sex-related differences in ACL matrix damage and repair. Risk reflects the interaction between early sport specialization, skeletal maturity, sex-related factors, sport-specific exposure, rapid load escalation, poor recovery, and previous injury. Clustering of these factors amplifies vulnerability. Neuromuscular training has the strongest evidence for improving movement quality, stability, and load tolerance. Education may improve symptom recognition and disclosure. Personalized load management and imaging-guided rehabilitation are emerging for selected high-risk groups. Debate persists over surgical thresholds for selected injuries, the value of bracing in adolescent spondylolysis, the acceptable boundaries of early specialization, and whether prevention should use generic or context-specific protocols. Evidence is limited for psychosocial determinants of disclosure, biological mechanisms underlying sex differences, long-term adult sequelae of adolescent injury, and standardized diagnostic or classification systems. The field is moving towards interdisciplinary, precision-oriented models integrating biomechanics, developmental biology, endocrinology, psychology, rehabilitation, wearables, and AI- assisted prediction, supported by implementation science. Assessment should be development-aware rather than based on age alone. Growth spurts, energy status, menstrual/endocrine health, and cumulative tendon loading should be monitored proactively. Risk stratification should combine biological age, training volume, recovery pattern, and prior injury history rather than relying on chronological age alone. Best practice is likely to combine universal prevention with subgroup-specific adaptation and embed programmes within routine training systems. Management should remain individualized and sport-specific until stronger comparative effectiveness data are available. Priorities include longitudinal cohorts, mechanistic translational studies, and consensus-based definitions, outcomes, and classification frameworks. Progress will depend on scalable personalized prevention, integration of mental health and reporting culture into care pathways, and follow-up across the transition to adulthood.

  Physiological mechanisms and organism response in youth sports activities-related musculoskeletal injuries · 2026 · DOI

• Multiple facets of the study design must be contemplated when analyzing the results. The sample size (n = 28; 7 per cell) was established through a priori power analysis and was adequate for detecting large main effects with high precision; however, the statistical power to discern small or moderate interactions was constrained. The study lacked kinematic or physiological measures that could clarify the mechanisms behind any training effects, and the sample was sourced from a single training center, potentially limiting external validity.

  Hybrid Shadow-Dynamic Ball-Sensory-Game Training Enhances Forehand Drive Performance in Young Table Tennis Players: A 2×2 Factorial Study of Eye Hand Coordination · 2026 · DOI

• Limitations encompass reliance on the Scopus database, which may have led to the exclusion of non-indexed Indian journals, gray literature, regional publications, and conference proceedings sources, which may have potentially underrepresented locally relevant or indigenous research contributions. This could lead to an incomplete picture of India’s total research output, particularly in applied or indigenous contexts (e.g., Ayurveda-integrated studies published locally). Future studies could complement this with Web of Science, PubMed, or Indian Citation Index to mitigate such biases. The 2001–2025 timeframe captures recent surges but omits pre-2001 foundational work, and citation metrics favor older papers, skewing impact assessments. Funding analysis is constrained by acknowledgment inconsistencies, and thematic clusters rely on author keywords, potentially missing nuanced sub-themes such as gender-specific epidemiology.

  Sports injuries research in India: A bibliometric analysis of publications (2001–2025) · 2026 · DOI

• By integrating motion capture, musculoskeletal simulation, and finite element analysis, this study elucidated the underlying biome- chanical advantages of TCS compared to the SS. The slow and controlled movement paradigm of TCS optimizes intra-articular stress distribution and enhances posterior chain co-activation. This provides a highly efficient rehabilitation alternative for joint pres- ervation and offers a targeted neuromuscular strategy to correct quadriceps dominance in female athletes for ACL injury preven- tion, thereby scientifically validating the clinical utility of traditional Tai Chi principles. To build upon these cross-sectional findings, future research must prioritize longitudinal randomized controlled trials and targeted clinical interventions among high-risk popula- tions, such as older adults and individuals with knee osteoarthritis or post-ACL reconstruction. Concurrently, advanced biomechani- cal investigations should develop subject-specific models utilizing magnetic resonance imaging, incorporate time-varying dynamic loads, and evaluate the complete lower extremity kinematic chain to precisely quantify the long-term therapeutic efficacy and multi-joint coordination strategies associated with TCS.

  Biomechanical effects of squatting movements in Tai Chi on the knee joint · 2026 · DOI

• • Operator Dependency: MSKUS requires skill and experience for accurate interpretation of findings. The ability to sonograph tendons and their respective muscles is largely influenced by the operator and by the availability and technical considerations of stateof-the-art equipment. • Depth Limitations: Visualization is usually not a problem with MSKUS; however, in some individuals who are older and obese, visualization may be less than ideal due to muscular fatty degeneration and increased soft tissue thickness due to subcutaneous fat.20,21 • Artifacts and Shadows: Bone and calcifications may create image artifacts, requiring adjustments in probe positioning and frequency.

  Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in the Evaluation of the Medial Hamstrings · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should investigate the optimal intervention period, frequency, duration, and intensity for specific age groups and identify the interventions. While these parameters provide a helpful starting point, further research is warranted to determine optimal combinations of training specific populations, including adolescents, university students, and adults of different sexes and varying fitness levels.

  Evaluating volleyball interventions for enhancing physical fitness in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Based on the findings of this study, we recommend frequent use of injury prevention programs such as the FIFA 11+ and FUNBALL at all levels of youth soccer. Training should incorporate exercises for ankle stability, neuromuscular control, and thigh muscle eccentric strengthening as well as load management strategies. Teams should evaluate the utility of protective equipment in goalkeepers to prevent injury. We also recommend further study with a larger cohort including female athletes and evaluation of pubertal development including sexual maturity rating scales and skeletal maturity as they relate to injury risk and injury patterns. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors thank Kurt Andrews, Karan Padmakumar, Peyton Jensen, Monique Prebensen, Caroline Maher, Rene Arroyo-Cano, Issac Gomez, and the rest of the sports medicine staff who assessed these athletes and recorded data making this research possible.

  Position-Specific Injury Patterns in Academy-Level Male Youth Soccer Players: A 3-Season, Prospective Cohort Study · 2026 · DOI

• This study has several limitations. Given the limited sample size, statistical power may not be adequate to detect all significant differences in position-specific injury patterns in this population. Importantly, the timeframe of this study included the COVID-19 pandemic, when athletic participation shut down, which inevitably affected our data. We attempted to minimize this effect by only including data from before the pandemic began and as its effects on policy were decreasing. Most importantly, these data include only academy-level athletes, so generalizability to high school and recreational soccer may be limited. Finally, this study was limited to a single soccer academy in the Midwestern United States, which may or may not be applicable to other institutions or regions of the United States. Injury epidemiology data in youth soccer athletes, especially within the United States, are needed to inform successful injury prevention strategies in this population. Further research is still needed to fully elicit patterns of injury by position and developmental stage of elite male youth soccer athletes and certainly to identify efficacious injury prevention strategies for implementation in this population based on position-specific injury patterns. These data provide initial insights from which a framework for the navigation of next steps to keep these athletes safe during their sport participation can be developed.

  Position-Specific Injury Patterns in Academy-Level Male Youth Soccer Players: A 3-Season, Prospective Cohort Study · 2026 · DOI

• The scoping review included studies that implemented preventative strategies to minimise lower limb injuries irrespective of whether the study yielded significant or nonsignificant results statistically. There were also no studies found on preventative strategies for the quadriceps and gastrocnemius non-contact injuries.

  Preventative strategies for non-contact lower limb injuries among male football players: A scoping review · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Sports injuries and prevention

• Mechanisms of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Basketball · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2006 · 971 citations
• Effectiveness of a Neuromuscular and Proprioceptive Training Program in Preventing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2005 · 870 citations
• Prevalence of Jumper's Knee among Elite Athletes from Different Sports: A Cross-sectional Study · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2005 · 692 citations
• Risk Factors for Injuries in Football · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2004 · 647 citations
• Sports-Specialized Intensive Training and the Risk of Injury in Young Athletes · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2015 · 477 citations
• The Impact of Stretching on Sports Injury Risk: A Systematic Review of the Literature · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2004 · 335 citations
• Risk Factors for Lower Extremity Muscle Injury in Professional Soccer · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2012 · 319 citations
• Neuromuscular Training for Sports Injury Prevention · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2010 · 317 citations
• Incidence of Glenohumeral Instability in Collegiate Athletics · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2009 · 311 citations
• Epidemiology of Major League Baseball Injuries · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2011 · 306 citations

Most recent work

• Artificial intelligence and wearable sensors in sports injury risk prediction: current status and future perspectives · Annals of Medicine · 2026
• Developing a Fundamental Theoretical Definition for Athletic Injury: Metaphysics, Logic, and Mathematics · Sports Medicine · 2026
• Endoscopic Pubic Symphysectomy for Refractory Osteitis Pubis Provides Positive Functional Outcomes and High Return‐to‐Sport Rate at a Minimum 2‐Year Follow‐Up · Arthroscopy The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery · 2026
• A Novel Method of Clinical Strength Assessment: Reliability and Validity of a Crane Scale for the Quadriceps and Hamstrings · Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research · 2026
• Risk factors for growth-related knee pain in young male Japanese basketball players: results from a web-based parental survey · The Physician and Sportsmedicine · 2026
• Position-Specific Injury Patterns in Academy-Level Male Youth Soccer Players: A 3-Season, Prospective Cohort Study · Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine · 2026
• Data-Driven Gradual Preseason Practice Acclimation Ramp Reduces Lower Extremity Strains in the National Football League · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2026
• A Video Analysis Study Examining Neuromuscular Training Warm-Up Practices in Youth Soccer · Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine · 2026
• Lower Limb Bone Stress Injuries in Elite Female Cricket Players · Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine · 2026
• Coastal rowing beach sprint, the new olympic discipline: sports engineering considerations · Sports Engineering · 2026

Related topics in Medicine