Research summary · Recovery and rehabilitation
Hamstring rehabilitation literature often omits the details needed to reproduce care
A review mapped 137 English-language publications describing nonsurgical rehabilitation of acute hamstring injuries. Searches covered three databases through October 2024. Included material ranged from original studies to reviews, protocols and clinical opinion.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Scoping review
- Journal
- BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
- Population / context
- Football · Rugby · Athletics · Multiple sports
What the publication reports
Fifty-nine publications were primary research, and over half of all included articles had low evidence levels. Rehabilitation parameters were frequently missing; return-to-sport criteria appeared in only 43.5% of primary studies. Forty different strategies were identified, emphasizing the gap between naming exercises and specifying a reproducible program.
Limits and interpretation
This descriptive evidence map does not estimate treatment effects or identify a superior protocol. The search predates publication by almost two years, includes heterogeneous evidence types and excludes non-English reports. Its main contribution is documenting evidence and reporting gaps.
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Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Hamstring muscle injury rehabilitation in sports: a scoping review
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42688610DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2025-003110Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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