In professional soccer, the high rate of recurrence after a hamstring strain forces therapists to reflect about the most appropriate interventions in order to prevent subsequent occurrence of the same injury. In this context, the returnto- play (RTP) decision represents a key point. Even if there is little original RTP research, some authors proposed guidelines or suggestions to help clinicians to make an informed decision as to whether an injured athlete may safely return to practice and/or competition (Matheson et al., 2011; Herring et al., 2012). For example, a recent model developed by Creighton could clarify the processes that clinicians have to apply when making their decisions (Creighton et al., 2010). The aim of this study was to analyse how clinicians decide, in their daily practice, when a hamstring injured professional soccer player is fully able to get back to competitive soccer activities.
© Copyright 2014 Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. Department of Sports Medicine - Medical Faculty of Uludag University. All rights reserved.