• Erik Witvrouw, Lieven Danneels, Peter Asselman, Thomas D'Have, and Dirk Cambier.
• Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
• Am J Sports Med. 2003 Jan 1; 31 (1): 41-6.

BackgroundMuscular tightness is frequently postulated as an intrinsic risk factor for the development of a muscle injury. However, very little prospective data exist to prove this.HypothesisIncreased muscle tightness identifies a soccer player at risk for a subsequent musculoskeletal lesion.Study DesignProspective cohort study.MethodsWe examined 146 male professional soccer players before the 1999-2000 Belgian soccer competition. None of the players had a history of muscle injury in the lower extremities in the previous 2 years. The flexibility of the hamstring, quadriceps, adductor, and calf muscles of these players was measured goniometrically before the start of the season. All of the examined players were monitored throughout the season to register subsequent injuries.ResultsPlayers with a hamstring (N = 31) or quadriceps (N = 13) muscle injury were found to have significantly lower flexibility in these muscles before their injury compared with the uninjured group. No significant differences in muscle flexibility were found between players who sustained an adductor muscle injury (N = 13) or a calf muscle injury (N = 10) and the uninjured group.ConclusionsThese results indicate that soccer players with an increased tightness of the hamstring or quadriceps muscles have a statistically higher risk for a subsequent musculoskeletal lesion.Clinical SignificancePreseason hamstring and quadriceps muscle flexibility testing can identify male soccer players at risk of developing hamstring and quadriceps muscle injuries.Copyright 2003 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine

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