30-Second Takeaway
- ACL neuromuscular training improves landing mechanics and neural efficiency; visual biofeedback adds no clear benefit.
- Common rehab staples (RFESS, Achilles RTS time-based decisions, generic OA exercise) may underload or underspecify goals.
- PRP may modestly hasten hamstring RTP without altering reinjury or adverse events; counsel around expectations and cost.
Week ending February 21, 2026
Targeted neuromuscular training, load progression, and sport-specific criteria in contemporary sports medicine
Neuromuscular training improves landing mechanics without added value from visual biofeedback
In 55 female adolescent athletes, about 6 weeks of neuromuscular training improved ACL-relevant landing biomechanics on drop vertical jumps. Training reduced hip and knee biomechanical risk markers with small-to-large effects (η² 0.04–0.41, P < 0.049). Task-related sensorimotor brain activity decreased overall, indicating more efficient neural control of a complex lower-limb task. Greater postcentral gyrus activation predicted reduced knee abduction moment, highlighting somatosensory processing as a potential target.
Rearfoot elevated split squats underload the reconstructed limb after ACL surgery
At around 4 months post-ACL reconstruction, patients showed clear compensation during rearfoot elevated split squats. The ACL limb demonstrated lower vertical ground reaction force and total support moment, with demand redistributed away from the knee to hip and ankle. Knee contribution dropped by 12.8%, while hip and ankle contributions increased by 9.8% and 3.2%, respectively. More trunk flexion raised vertical loading but did not restore normal knee contribution patterns.
PRP shortens return-to-play after acute hamstring injury without affecting reinjury
Six RCTs including 277 participants with acute hamstring injuries found platelet-rich plasma reduced return-to-play time versus controls. The pooled mean difference was -8.6 days (21.4 vs 30.0 days), with wide heterogeneity (I² = 94.1%). Reinjury (15% vs 16%) and adverse event rates (1% vs 0%) were similar between PRP and controls. Certainty of evidence was low to moderate due to bias risk and imprecision.
Exercise therapy for osteoarthritis shows small, short-lived benefits with low-certainty evidence
This overview pooled five reviews and 28 additional RCTs of exercise for knee, hip, hand, and ankle osteoarthritis. For knee OA, exercise yielded small short-term pain reductions versus placebo and no treatment, roughly 10–12 points on a 0–100 scale. Effects in larger or longer-term knee trials were smaller, and hip OA benefits were negligible, while hand OA showed small gains. Outcomes were broadly comparable to education, manual therapy, analgesics, injections, and arthroscopy.
References
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Additional Reads
Optional additional studies from this edition.