NCT07037095

Correlation Between Gastrocnemius Muscle Strain and Functional Performance in Footballers

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 158 (actual)
• Sponsor: Superior University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Footballers are highly prone to lower extremity injuries due to the intense physical demands of the sport, with calf muscle strains, particularly gastrocnemius injuries, being very common. The gastrocnemius muscle plays a critical role in movement, posture, and athletic performance.

Detailed description

This study aims to determine the correlation between the severity of gastrocnemius muscle strain and functional performance among footballers. Participants aged 18-40 years with clinically diagnosed gastrocnemius strains were assessed using the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and Hop Test. Severity was categorized through physical examination techniques like palpation, passive dorsiflexion stretch, and resisted plantarflexion tests. Data analysis will explore the relationship between strain severity and functional outcomes, providing valuable insights into rehabilitation strategies and return to play decisions for injured athletes. This study addresses a research gap by focusing specifically on footballers and correlating strain severity with sport-specific functional performance.

Conditions

• Muscle Strain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Ankle plantar flexion test:	Ankle plantarflexion is valid test used to assess for gastrocnemius muscle strain . Patient is asked to actively plantarflex the foot against resistance while examiner Observe ,this action activates the gastrocnemius muscle .The reliability for ankle plantar flexion is 0.81 to 0.99. If the patient reports pain in the region of gastrocnemius, the test is positive. If there is no pain , weakness or difficulty performing plantarflexion then suggest that test is negative.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-03-04
• Primary completion: 2025-06-01
• Completion: 2025-09-30
• First posted: 2025-06-25
• Last updated: 2025-06-25

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Pakistan