Preventative strategies for non-contact lower limb injuries among male football players: a scoping review

Abstract

Background: Football is a team sport that is complex with high tactical, technical, and physical demands. Due to these demands, footballers are exposed to an excessive rate of injury risk, contact and non-contact injuries. Aim: The aim was to map the range of literature relating to preventative strategies implemented to minimise risk factors associated with non-contact lower limb injuries among male footballers. Method: This was a scoping review type of research. The title of this review was registered on the Open Science Framework before the researcher commenced the study to ensure that there were no duplicates. The review was guided in five stages: (1) defining the research, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) selecting a topic, (4) charting and collecting data and (5) summarising and reporting the results. The research has utilised the PCC (population, concept, and context) framework. It has considered professional and amateur soccer players of different age groups. The review considered various preventative strategies for non-contact lower limb injuries as they play an integral role in football to minimise the exclusion of footballers from the squad due to injuries. Studies done on preventative measures for injuries that were not specific to non-contact injuries, studies that included female footballers, those studies that included other sporting codes and other injuries that are not of the lower limbs were excluded from the study. The following eight electronic databases were explored: PUBMED, CINAHL, PEDRO, EBSCOhost, COCHRANE, SPORTDISCUS, SCOPUS AND SCIENCE DIRECT. Results: A total of 617 studies were recognised initially, but only 25 studies met the inclusion criteria, and their outcomes have been presented. Outcomes revealed various injury inhibition programmes implemented for non-contact lower limb injuries among male footballers which were: Nordic hamstring exercises, Copenhagen adduction exercise, muscle strengthening, stretching exercises, ankle taping, FIFA 11, FIFA 11+ warm-up programme, preseason preparation, running mechanics, high chronic training loads, bounding exercises, and multicomponent exercises program. Conclusion: The study provided a range of preventative strategies found to be utilised to minimise the possibility of non-contact lower limb injuries among male football players. Considering different dynamics within different teams at different levels, these strategies may be used as a guide in implementing injury prevention programmes among male footballers.