title: The role of eccentric exercise in sport injuries rehabilitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sports injuries frequently involve tendons, muscles and ligaments. The variable outcome of surgery and medical treatment support early functional treatments. Eccentric exercise (EE) showed effectiveness in the management of Achilles tendinopathy (AT), patellar tendinopathy (PT) and lateral epicondyle tendinopathy (LET). Preliminary results of EE in other tendinopathies and sports injuries suggest its wide prescription in the sport rehabilitation field.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Collaboration Database, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) Search review, National Guidelines, Scopus and Google Scholar was performed using keywords such as 'eccentric exercise', 'sports injuries rehabilitation', 'tendinopathy', 'hamstrings strain' 'adductor injuries' and 'ACL reconstruction rehabilitation'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EE, alone or associated with other therapies, represents a feasible, cost-effective and successful tool in the treatment of well-known targets and might be promising in shoulder tendinopathy, adductor-related groin pain, hamstring strains, and ACL rehabilitation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lack of standardization of protocols, the variable amount, quality and follow-up of studies, the different anatomy and pathophysiology of the therapeutic targets limit the evidence of applicability of EE to sports injuries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The role of pathology and biomechanics in the response to EE should be further investigated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  New randomized controlled trials should test the effectiveness of standardized EE regimens to various sites of sports injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frizziero
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trainito
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata' School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.affiliation: Department Rizzoli RIT, Laboratory of Biocompatibility, Technological Innovations and Advanced Therapies, Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nicoli Aldini
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masiero
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Salerno, Italy Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Hospital Mann Ward, 275 Bancroft Road, London E1 4DG, UK Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Mile End Hospital, London, UK n.maffulli@qmul.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maffulli
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000293:injuries; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019220:High-Energy Shock Waves / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000534:rehabilitation
keywords: eccentric exercise; ligament injuries; rehabilitation; sport injuries; tendinopathy