title: Muscle Injuries in Sports: A New Evidence-Informed and Expert Consensus-Based Classification with Clinical Application.
abstract: Muscle injuries are among the most common injuries in sport and continue to be a major concern because of training and competition time loss, challenging decision making regarding treatment and return to sport, and a relatively high recurrence rate. An adequate classification of muscle injury is essential for a full understanding of the injury and to optimize its management and return-to-play process. The ongoing failure to establish a classification system with broad acceptance has resulted from factors such as limited clinical applicability, and the inclusion of subjective findings and ambiguous terminology. The purpose of this article was to describe a classification system for muscle injuries with easy clinical application, adequate grouping of injuries with similar functional impairment, and potential prognostic value. This evidence-informed and expert consensus-based classification system for muscle injuries is based on a four-letter initialism system: MLG-R, respectively referring to the mechanism of injury (M), location of injury (L), grading of severity (G), and number of muscle re-injuries (R). The goal of the classification is to enhance communication between healthcare and sports-related professionals and facilitate rehabilitation and return-to-play decision making.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, FC Barcelona, Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Av. Onze de Setembre, s/n, Sant Joan Despí, 08970, Barcelona, Spain. xavier.valle@fcbarcelona.cat.|Sports Medicine School, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. xavier.valle@fcbarcelona.cat.|Mapfre Centre for Tennis Medicine, Barcelona, Spain. xavier.valle@fcbarcelona.cat.|Department de Cirurgia de la Facultat de Medicina, 'Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona', Barcelona, Spain. xavier.valle@fcbarcelona.cat.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke Sports Sciences Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alentorn-Geli
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine, Aspetar, Doha, Qatar.|Department of Sports Medicine, The Sports Physician Group, OLVG-West, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Academic Center for Evidence Based Sports Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tol
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine, Aspetar, Doha, Qatar.|High Performance Sport NZ, Millenium Institute of Sport and Health, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke Sports Sciences Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, FC Barcelona, Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Av. Onze de Setembre, s/n, Sant Joan Despí, 08970, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ricard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pruna
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, FC Barcelona, Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Av. Onze de Setembre, s/n, Sant Joan Despí, 08970, Barcelona, Spain.|High Performance Centre, Health Consortium of Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Til
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, FC Barcelona, Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Av. Onze de Setembre, s/n, Sant Joan Despí, 08970, Barcelona, Spain.|Sport Catalan Council, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep Antoni
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.affiliation: Clínica Creu Blanca, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Alomar
authors.affiliation: Mapfre Centre for Tennis Medicine, Barcelona, Spain.|Sport Catalan Council, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balius
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Department, Thessaloniki Sports Medicine Clinic, Thessaloníki, Greece.|Department of Rheumatology, Sports Clinic, Mile End Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malliaropoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Parc de Salut Mar-Hospital del Mar and Hospital de l'Esperança, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Hospital Universitari Dexeus (ICATME), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan Carles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Monllau
authors.affiliation: Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whiteley
authors.affiliation: Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.|Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Witvrouw
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Samuelsson
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, FC Barcelona, Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Av. Onze de Setembre, s/n, Sant Joan Despí, 08970, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodas
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D032921:Consensus; D000070633:Hamstring Muscles / Q000293:injuries; D006801:Humans; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013177:Sports; D009626:Terminology as Topic