title: Muscle Injuries: A Brief Guide to Classification and Management.
abstract: Muscle injuries are frequent in athletes. Despite their high incidence, advances in clinical diagnostic criteria and imaging, their optimal management and rehabilitation strategies are still debated in literature. Furthermore, reinjury rate is high after a muscle lesion, and an improper treatment or an early return to sports can increase the rate of reinjury and complications. Most muscle injuries are managed conservatively with excellent results, and surgery is normally advocated only for larger tears. This article reviews the current literature to provide physicians and rehabilitation specialists with the necessary basic tools to diagnose, classify and to treat muscle injuries. Based on anatomy, biomechanics, and imaging features of muscle injury, the use of a recently reported new classification system is also advocated.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maffulli
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Buono
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giai Via
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frizziero
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barazzuol
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brancaccio
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freschi
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galletti
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lisitano
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Melegati
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nanni
authors.forename: Ghito
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasta
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ramponi
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Vittorino
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valent
keywords: classification; muscle injury; rehabilitation; sports medicine