NCT00557050

Brief Summary

A common soft tissue injury in sports involving sprinting and jumping is the hamstring strain. Not much evidence-based research has been carried out on prevention of hamstring strains. Most studies suggest that hamstring strains occur during the later part of the swing phase when the player is sprinting. In this phase the hamstring muscles are working to decelerate knee extension - that is, the muscle develops tension while lengthening. This means that the muscles change from functioning eccentrically to concentrically. We hypothesize that it is during this rapid change from eccentric to concentric function that the muscles are most vulnerable to injuries, and that the injuries can be prevented by increasing the eccentric muscle strength in the hamstring. This randomized clinical trial will examine the effect of a 10-week preseason strength-training program in Danish elite soccer. The strength-training program focuses on eccentric hamstring training. 60 elite teams (1200 soccer players) will be cluster-randomized to either ordinary training or ordinary training combined with eccentric hamstring strength training. The training group will start the training program in the pre-season (10 weeks) and continue the training once a week during the following season. Suspected hamstrings strains during the season will be examined within 3 days using ultrasound. Ultrasound verified hamstring strains will be registered, and players will start a standardized rehabilitation program.

Trial Health

35
At Risk

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
1,000

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Jan 2008

Status
unknown

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

November 9, 2007

Completed
3 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

November 12, 2007

Completed
2 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 1, 2008

Completed
1.2 years until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 1, 2009

Completed
Last Updated

November 12, 2007

Status Verified

September 1, 2007

First QC Date

November 9, 2007

Last Update Submit

November 9, 2007

Conditions

Strains

Keywords

HamstringMuscleInjuryPreventionMuscles

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Number of acute hamstring strains

    one soccer season

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Number of ACL-injuries

    One soccer season

Interventions

TrainingOTHER

10-week eccentric hamstring muscle training

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexmale
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Male soccer player in one of the top 4 divisions i Denmark in the 2007/08 season

You may not qualify if:

  • Under 18 years old

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Related Publications (1)

  • Petersen J, Holmich P. Evidence based prevention of hamstring injuries in sport. Br J Sports Med. 2005 Jun;39(6):319-23. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2005.018549.

    PMID: 15911599BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sprains and StrainsWounds and Injuries

Study Officials

  • Jesper Petersen, MD

    Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Amager University Hospital, Denmark

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
PREVENTION
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

November 9, 2007

First Posted

November 12, 2007

Study Start

January 1, 2008

Study Completion

March 1, 2009

Last Updated

November 12, 2007

Record last verified: 2007-09