Biology of Sport
eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X
Biology of Sport
Current Issue Manuscripts accepted About the journal Editorial board Abstracting and indexing Archive Ethical standards and procedures Contact Instructions for authors Journal's Reviewers Special Information
Editorial System
Submit your Manuscript
SCImago Journal & Country Rank
Search
Editorial Policies
Sarajevo Declaration on Integrity and Visibility of Scholarly Publications

Open access

without publication fees
Share:
Send email
Share:
abstract:
Original paper

Return-to-play criteria based on infrared thermography during anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation in football players

Victor-Luis Escamilla-Galindo
1, 2
,
José Luis Felipe
3, 4
,
Antonio Alonso-Callejo
4
,
Ralph Van-der-Horst
5
,
Ana de la Torre-Combarros
6
,
Paolo Minafra
7
,
Daniel Fernández-Muñoz
1
,
Ismael Fernández-Cuevas
1, 2

  1. Department of research and development, ThermoHuman, Madrid, Spain
  2. INEF, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  3. Performance Analysis Department, UD Las Palmas, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
  4. IGOID Research Group, Department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of Cas-tilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
  5. Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation department of Sports Performance Nederland, Zaanstad, Netherlands
  6. Medical department of Getafe, Madrid, Spain
  7. Medical Department of Modena, Modena, Italy
Biol Sport. 2025;42(2):161–167
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2025.144295
Online publish date: 2024/10/23
View full text Get citation
 
PlumX metrics:
Reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is associated with degenerative changes during the return-to-play (RTP) process. Infrared thermography, due to its usefulness in monitoring the state of tissues, could help establish physiological criteria for monitoring the knee joint. The aim of the study was to describe normative skin temperature (Tsk) asymmetry of the knee region of interest (knee ROI) from football players during the ACL RTP process. Thirty professional and semi-professional football players, both male and female, from three different European leagues (age: 26.84±3.46 years; height: 1.83±0.22 m; weight: 75.38±5.92 kg) were evaluated using thermography during their RTP process. A linear mixed model was then developed in which Tsk asymmetry was the dependent variable. Sex and Day were included as predictor variables with fixed effects. Athlete was included as a random effect with (Model 1 and Model 2) and without (Model 3) interaction with Day. Model 2 was fitted with a random intercept and random independent slopes, and Model 3 was fitted with a random intercept and random dependent slopes. The results showed the estimates of the model in which both predictor variables were significant. The asymmetry decreased during the days after surgery (-0.01 per day after surgery). The results might help to establish an objective criterion based on infrared thermography for monitoring the rehabilitation stages in the RTP of football players during one year of evolution. The assessment of the thermal asymmetries of the knee ROI during the RTP established a Tsk progression criterion. Medical and technical staff could implement an infrared thermography tool for knee monitoring between RTP stages.
keywords:

Soccer, Rehabilitation, Technology, Injury

  
Termedia
About us Contact
Copyright notice Privacy policy Advertising policy Contact us
Quick links
Journals Books eBooks Events
© 2024 Termedia Sp. z o.o.
Developed by Bentus.