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Hamstring injuries can occur in a variety of sports activities and they are among the most frequent injuries in sports, especially in events requiring sprinting and running. 1- 5 Most of these injuries are strains and are treated adequately by generally approved non-operative methods. 6, 7
Only a few reports on the treatment of distal tears of the hamstring muscles have been previously published in the English literature. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 We present our results of surgical treatment of distal hamstring tears in 18 athletes. We also reviewed the previously published cases with regard to the treatment of distal hamstring tears. The aim of this study was to provide more information about surgical treatment in athletes with a distal hamstring tear.
The study protocol was approved by the local hospital ethics committee of Satakunta Central Hospital, Pori, Finland.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
In total, 18 athletes (16 men and 2 women) with a distal hamstring tear were surgically treated at Mehiläinen Hospital and Sports Clinic, Turku, Finland, during 1992-2005. One athlete was operated on twice. There were 6 professional athletes (international elite level), 10 competitive-level athletes and 2 recreational athletes. The mean age of the patients was 28 years (range 18-40 years). The right side was affected in 13 patients and the left side in 5 patients. Table 1 presents the details of each patient. All injuries occurred during sports, and typically in sprinting. There was no direct blow to the distal part of the posterior thigh in any of the patients.
Table 1 Background, surgical findings and results of treatment in 18 patients with a distal tear of the hamstring muscles
Age (years) | Sport | Delay from injury to surgery (months) | Involved muscle and location of tear | Complete (C)or partial(P) tear | Return to pre-injury level of sport(months) | Result |
40 | Ice hockey | 5 days | BF/A | C | 2 | Excellent |
27 | Floorball | 2 weeks | BF/MTJ | C | 3 |