title: Plantaris injuries in elite UK track and field athletes over a 4-year period: a retrospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The plantaris tendon is present in 98-100 % of people, and a potential relationship between the plantaris tendon and the development of Achilles tendinopathy has been postulated. There are no studies on the epidemiology of plantaris injuries in a sporting population. This retrospective cohort study presents the incidence, nature and outcome of plantaris injuries in elite British track and field athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 214 elite athletes supported by the British Athletics Medical team from 2009 to 2013 were included in this cohort study. An injury was recorded if a plantaris injury was diagnosed and confirmed with imaging or surgical findings. Patient demographics, injury details and return to competitive elite track and field were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 33 new plantaris injuries, with an annual plantaris injury incidence of 3.9-9.3 %. There were significantly more right-sided plantaris injuries in bend running sprinters (15 right-sided vs. 4 left-sided). 74 % of the athletes who had a plantaris injury also had Achilles tendinopathy at some point during the study period. Seventeen plantaris tendons were surgically removed from 13 athletes during the course of the study with 12 of the 13 athletes returning to the same level on the Tegner activity scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This retrospective cohort study demonstrates that plantaris injuries are common in elite track and field athletes and may be underreported in the literature. There may be an association between the biomechanics bend sprinting and plantaris injury. Elite athletes may benefit from appropriate preventative and management strategies implemented by coaching and medical teams.
  
  
  METHODS
  IV.
authors.affiliation: British Athletics Team Doctor, Level 1 Outpatients, Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, 60 Grove End Road, London, NW8 9NH, UK. npollock@uka.org.uk.
authors.forename: Noel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pollock
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Department, Aspetar, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, PO Box 29222, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.affiliation: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation, London, UK.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calder
authors.affiliation: British Athletics Institute, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chakraverty
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000293:injuries; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000068958:Return to Sport / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D014142:Track and Field / Q000293:injuries*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Achilles; Athletics; Injury; Plantaris; Tendon