The purpose of the current study was to prospectively record hamstring injuries in the Kosovo national premier football league to investigate the incidence and characteristics of hamstring injuries in elite male football players and to identify possible risk factors for hamstring injuries in elite male Kosovar soccer players.
A total of 143 elite football players from 11 teams in Kosovo were recruited. To identify possible prevalent musculoskeletal or medical conditions a widespread health and fitness assessment was performed including isokinetic strength, Nordic hamstring exercise, functional tests, and a comprehensive anamnesis surveying previous hamstring injuries.
On average 27.9% of the players sustained at least one hamstring injury with three players suffering bilateral strains and the re-injury rate was 23% among previously injured players. Injured players were significantly older and heavier and had a higher body mass index compared to non-injured ones (p 0.05). There was a lower passing rate in the Nordic exercise test and a higher injury incidence among the previously injured players compared to non-injured ones (p 0.05). Except for hamstring/quadriceps ratio and relative torque at 60 degree/sec (p 0.05) for dominant and non-dominant leg there were no other significant differences in isokinetic strength regardless measurement speed.
No differences were observed for functional tests either between cohorts. A battery of laboratory and field-based tests performed preseason to determine performance related needs is of limited diagnostic conclusiveness to allow prospectively determine players at risk for future hamstring injuries.
Understanding better the predicting factor leading to injuries in male football players .
predicting factors
sport injuries
