Omar Medhat Hagag, Osama Fekry Ahmed Al-Balah, Alaa Abdelhakim Balbaa, Hatem Mohamed El-‎Azizi, Ghada Shaaban Eid‎

Abstract

Muscle injuries are common in football fields and are responsible for most days lost in the competition. A major part of muscle injuries is the result of excessive tension and load on muscles that occur during cutting, sprinting or jumping. These injuries often affect the myotendinous junction of superficial muscles extend across two joints, including the gastrocnemius, semitendinosus, and rectus femoris muscles. Recovery of injured muscles is usually slow and causes pathomechanical aspects, which are different from the original mechanical properties of the affected muscle. The valuable aim of rehabilitation is fast recovery with minimal risk of injury recurrence. Hamstrings muscle strains are among the most common injuries in sport. Purpose: The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of 905nm laser diode and plasma-rich platelets on the recovery of hamstrings tear. Subjects: Thirty male athletes diagnosed as grade II hamstrings tear with age range of 20-35 years. Methods: The players were distributed into two groups. The 1^st group (A) consisted of 15 patients with a mean age of 27.20±3.71 who received platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The 2^nd group (B) consisted of 15 patients with the mean age of 27.10±3.70 who received laser treatment, applied 3 times/week starting from the second day for 2 weeks with the irradiation beam of 60 sec/point at the dose of 1 J/cm². The treatment was given as follows; in group (A) PRP was injected in the second day after injury; in group (B) laser was applied 3 times/week, starting from the 2^nd day after injury for two weeks. Before and after treatment, patients were evaluated for muscle healing and pain. Results: There was not any significant difference between the 2 groups while there were significant differences within each group. Conclusion: There were not any significant differences between 905nm laser diode therapy and platelet-rich plasma on the recovery of hamstrings tear‎.