A paucity of data exists concerning musculoskeletal injuries in athletes participating in contact team sports, a situation that is particularly salient in the Croatian context. The present pilot study analyzed injury profiles in 203 Croatian male football and handball players (114 and 89, respectively). Item-level responses were executed without the utilization of skip logic, consequently yielding slight variations in sample sizes for each variable. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics, including effect size, were applied. The prevalence of injuries was found to be high, with 86.7% of athletes reporting a history of musculoskeletal injury. Lower extremity injuries were the most prevalent injury type, accounting for 79.3% of cases, and were particularly common among football players. In contrast, upper extremity injuries were more frequently reported by handball players, with a rate of 20.0%, which is significantly higher than the rate of 9.2% observed among football players. Despite the modest effect sizes observed, these sport-specific variations were found to be statistically significant (V = 0.153–0.179). A comparison of the injury rates revealed that football players exhibited a higher proportion of total injuries (97.0%) compared to handball players (72.7%), although this difference was insignificant (p = 0.065). A higher prevalence of injuries was observed during the competitive season phase (58.9%; χ²(1) = 10.68, p = 0.001, V = 0.244). A modest positive correlation was found between the duration of sports experience and the frequency of injuries (ρ = 0.203, p = 0.006). However, the rest period between training sessions was found to be unrelated to the occurrence of injuries (ρ = 0.013, p = 0.882). The prevalence of recurrent injuries among injured athletes was found to be 58.6%, with no significant association observed between this phenomenon and the availability of physiotherapists. The findings of this study underscore the need for prevention programs tailored to the specific risks associated with sports and the varying experience levels of athletes. To effectively address these issues, ongoing research and evaluation using statistical and practical effect estimates are imperative.

Context: This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of early surgical excision of the traumatic myositis ossificans of the vastus intermedius muscle in an elite football player and return to sports activity within 3 months from the initial injury. Case presentation: A 27-year-old male professional football player presented with progressive pain and loss of range of motion after sustaining a severe, right quadriceps contusion 4 weeks earlier. After unsuccessful conservative therapy, the differential diagnosis of myositis ossificans was suspected and confirmed on radiographic examination. MRI revealed significant edema encompassing a substantial portion of the vastus intermedius muscle. Management and outcomes: Surgical treatment was considered for the right thigh mass, being symptomatic 1 month after the onset and refractory to conservative treatment and rehabilitation program. At 2 months postsurgery, the patient was asymptomatic and had completed a rehabilitation program. Conclusion: Early surgical treatment followed-up with a rehabilitation program results with a complete recovery of muscle strength and range of motion. At 3 months postinitial injury, the patient was considered fully recovered and had returned to the match without reporting pain or other symptoms.

Background and Study Aim. Balance and coordination are based on the integration of signals from different systems, including proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual systems. Oculomotor function plays an important role in spatial orientation and maintaining postural stability. Previous research has shown the positive effects of oculomotor exercises in certain populations. However, their short-term effects on healthy young adults remain underexplored. The aim of the study was therefore to investigate the short-term effects of oculomotor exercises on balance and coordination in healthy young adults.Material and Methods. Thirty healthy physiotherapy students (aged 19–25) from the Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, Croatia, took part in the study. Exclusion criteria included any condition that impaired balance or coordination. Participants performed eye muscle exercises twice a day for seven days, focusing on activation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex and lateral eye movements. Balance was assessed using the “Posturomed 202” device during a one-legged stance test, and coordination was measured using the Wall Toss Test. The results before and after the intervention were compared using the Student’s t-test.Results. After the intervention, the participants showed significant improvements in the areas of balance (increase in mean score from 64.37 to 70.03, p=0.001) and coordination (increase in repetitions of the wall toss from 17.90 to 22.40, p=0.001). Both left and right leg balance improved significantly. Our results are consistent with those of other studies, which also found a positive effect of oculomotor exercises on postural stability and balance in young people, as well as a reduction in the frequency of falls and risk of falls in older people after stroke, and improved function in children with traumatic brain injury. Despite the relatively small sample size and short duration of the intervention, the data obtained demonstrate the feasibility of integrating such exercises into training, rehabilitation, and prevention programs for different age groups.Conclusions. Short-term eye muscle exercises improve balance and coordination in healthy young adults. These simple exercises can serve as effective preventive and rehabilitative strategies. Further studies with larger samples and longer follow-up are needed. Передумови та мета дослідження. Рівновага та координація ґрунтуються на інтеграції сигналів від різних систем, зокрема пропріоцептивної, вестибулярної та зорової. Окуломоторна функція відіграє важливу роль у просторовій орієнтації та підтриманні постуральної стійкості. Попередні дослідження засвідчили позитивний вплив окуломоторних вправ у певних групах населення. Однак їх короткотривалий ефект у молодих здорових осіб не досить вивчений. Тому метою цього дослідження було визначення короткострокового впливу вправ для м’язів очей на рівновагу та координацію у молодих здорових людей.Матеріал і методи. У дослідженні брали участь 30 здорових студентів-фізичних терапевтів (віком 19–25 років) факультету медичних досліджень Рієцького університету (Хорватія). Критеріями виключення були будь-які умови, що порушують рівновагу або координацію. Учасники виконували вправи для очних м’язів двічі на день впродовж семи днів, зосереджуючись на активації вестибуло-окулярного рефлексу та латеральних рухах очей. Рівновагу оцінювали за допомогою пристрою «Posturomed 202» під час тесту стійки на одній нозі, а координацію – за допомогою тесту Wall Toss. Результати до і після інтервенції порівнювали за допомогою t-тесту Стьюдента.Результати. Після проведеної інтервенції учасники продемонстрували суттєве покращення координації рухів, що стало наслідком виконання вправ, спрямованих на активацію окуломоторних м’язів. Середня кількість успішних повторень у тесті на координацію зросла з 17,90 до 22,40, що відображає істотне підвищення швидкісно-координаційних можливостей. Статистичний аналіз підтвердив значущість цього покращення (p=0,001), що вказує на реальний функціональний ефект.Позитивні зміни також спостерігалися у показниках статичної рівноваги. Загальний баланс зріс з 64,37 до 70,03 (p=0,001). Покращення рівноваги підтверджено як для лівої, так і для правої ніг: показники лівої ноги зросли до 69,17, а правої – до 71,07 стосовно вихідних значень.Отримані нами результати...

Background/Objectives: Dynamic balance during the Y-Balance Test (YBT) relies on coordinated multi-joint control of the lower extremity. Although hip muscle strength is considered important for YBT performance, the relative contribution of individual hip muscle groups remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine the associations between isometric hip abduction, external rotation, and extension strength and YBT performance in healthy adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 104 healthy adults underwent assessment of isometric hip abduction, external rotation, and extension strength using strap-stabilized handheld dynamometry. Hip extension strength was measured in the prone position with the knee flexed to 90°. Strength values were normalized and expressed as joint torque (Nm/kg). YBT performance was assessed in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions and as a composite score. Associations were examined using Pearson correlation coefficients. To account for the dependency of bilateral measurements, a linear mixed model (LMM) was used to evaluate the collective and independent contribution of hip strength components to YBT performance, with sex, age, and BMI included as covariates. Results: All hip strength measures showed significant positive correlations with YBT performance (r = 0.19–0.49, p < 0.05). Hip extension strength demonstrated the strongest associations, particularly with posterolateral reach (r = 0.49). After adjustment for demographic covariates, sex was the strongest predictor of YBT performance across all directions (β = 7.8–8.9, p < 0.001), with males achieving higher scores than females. Hip extension and abduction strength were significant predictors of posterolateral reach (p < 0.05), whereas no hip strength variable independently predicted anterior reach or composite score after adjustment for demographic factors. No significant differences in YBT performance were observed between limbs. Conclusions: Sex was the strongest predictor of YBT performance in healthy adults. Hip extension and abduction strength were independently associated with posterolateral reach performance after controlling for demographic factors, suggesting that the association between hip muscle strength and dynamic balance may be direction-specific. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for sex when interpreting the relationship between hip strength and YBT performance.