BACKGROUND No studies have been reported on how strength, agility, and flexibility training reduce the occurrence of hamstring injuries in sprinters. Therefore, a program for preventing hamstring injury in these athletes has not been established. PURPOSE To document the incidence of hamstring injuries during times when different prevention strategies were employed to see whether a particular ...

Muscular flexibility is an important aspect of normal human function. Limited flexibility has been shown to predispose a person to several musculoskeletal overuse injuries and significantly affects a person’s level of function [1]. Muscular tightness is frequently postulated as an intrinsic risk factor for the development of a muscle injury. Lack of flexibility has been suggested as a predispos...

SUPPLEMENT 1. DETAILS OF TRAINING SCHEDULE This supplement shows the detailed training schedule during the 10-week preseason training period. The Eccentric Hamstring Sessions The hamstring sessions were progressively incorporated into the training schedule. At the beginning of the 10-week preseason period, players performed one set of five repetitions, once per week. The volume of eccentric ham...

BACKGROUND There is an ongoing debate regarding the optimal criteria for return to sport after an acute hamstring injury. Less than 10% isokinetic strength deficit is generally recommended but this has never been documented in professional football players after rehabilitation. Our aim was to evaluate isokinetic measurements in MRI-positive hamstring injuries. METHODS Isokinetic measurements ...

BACKGROUND This study examined whether passive hamstring tissue stiffness and/or stretch tolerance explain the relationship between sex and hamstring extensibility. METHODS Ninety healthy participants, 45 men and 45 women (mean ± SD; age 24.6 ± 5.9 years, height 1.72 ± 0.09 m, weight 74.6 ± 14.1 kg) volunteered for this study. The instrumented straight leg raise was used to determine hamstrin...

Lasse Lempainen Surgical treatment of hamstring injuries and disorders – the clinical spectrum from chronic tendinopathy to complete rupture Mehiläinen Sports Trauma Research Center, Turku, Finland Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland Department of Surgery, Satakunta Central Hospital, Pori, Finland Hamstring muscle injuries and tendon disorders ...

The main purpose of the present meta-analysis was to examine the scientific literature on the criterion-related validity of sit-and-reach tests for estimating hamstring and lumbar extensibility. For this purpose relevant studies were searched from seven electronic databases dated up through December 2012. Primary outcomes of criterion-related validity were Pearson´s zero-order correlation coeff...

Much controversy exists regarding the potential advantages and disadvantages of various graft choices for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Advocates of hamstring autografts often cite the limited apparent morbidity associated with semitendinosus or semitendinosus and gracilis harvest, including evidence that hamstring tendons may regenerate after harvest. In this article, we attempt t...

[Purpose] This study developed a pelvic wedge and belt and investigated their effects on the selective activation of medial and lateral hamstring muscles during knee flexion. [Subjects and Methods] Nine adults were enrolled. The participants performed exercises without and with the pelvic wedge and belt, and the electromyographic activities of the medial and lateral hamstring muscles were recor...

[Purpose] This study compared the efficacy of passive and active stretching techniques on hamstring flexibility. [Subjects] Fifty-four healthy young subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups (2 treatment groups and 1 control group). [Methods] Subjects in the passive stretching group had their knees extended by an examiner while lying supine 90° of hip flexion. In the same position,...