Lumbopelvic stabilizer and hamstring muscles characteristics in soccer players with and without hamstring strain injury: A case-control study

Emami, Mahnaz; Rahmani, Nahid; Mohseni Badpei, MohammadAli; Biglarian, Akbar

doi:10.22038/abjs.2026.87795.3974

Lumbopelvic stabilizer and hamstring muscles characteristics in soccer players with and without hamstring strain injury: A case-control study

Articles in Press

Document Type : RESEARCH PAPER

Authors

Mahnaz Emami ¹

Nahid Rahmani ²

MohammadAli Mohseni Badpei ¹

Akbar Biglarian ¹

¹ The university of social welfare and rehabilitation sciences

² University of social welfare and rehabilitation sciences

10.22038/abjs.2026.87795.3974

Abstract

Objectives: Hamstring strain injury (HSI) was one of the most common injuries in soccer players which might prevent the athletes from the competition. The neuromuscular control of the lumbopelvic region and core stability could play an important role in the prevention of HIS. The purpose of this study was to compare lumbar stabilizer and hamstring muscles characteristics in soccer players with and without HSI.

Methods: Fifty male soccer players (18-30 years of age) including 25 males with HSI and 25 males without HSI were recruited in the current study. The size of lumbopelvic stabilizer muscles and hamstring muscles were measured using Ultrasound and hamstring flexibility was assessed by digital inclinometer.

Results: In athletes with HSI, the lumbopelvic and hamstring muscles size were significantly smaller compared with the healthy athletes at rest and contraction state (P<0.01 in all instances). There was no statistically significant difference on hamstring flexibility between the two groups (P= 0.1).

Conclusion: It seems that lumbopelvic and hamstring muscles size was correlated with HSI in soccer players, but no relationship was found for hamstring flexibility. Therefore, the muscles size could be a predictor of hamstring injury in soccer players.

Key words: Athletics injury, Hamstring muscles, Ultrasound, Core stability

Level of Evidence: Ⅲ

Keywords

core stability

Hamstring muscles

Ultrasound

Athletic injury

Subjects