000170447 001__ 170447 000170447 005__ 20260420103355.0 000170447 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.26603/001c.156100 000170447 0248_ $$2sideral$$a148101 000170447 037__ $$aART-2026-148101 000170447 041__ $$aeng 000170447 100__ $$aAbdulridha, Kamal Hadib 000170447 245__ $$aThe effect of therapeutic exercises and ultrasound for rehabilitation of partially injured hamstring muscles in elite football players: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial 000170447 260__ $$c2026 000170447 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000170447 5203_ $$aHamstring injuries are common among athletes, particularly in high-intensity sports such as soccer (football), which involves rapid acceleration and frequent changes of direction. Reported risk factors include neuromuscular fatigue, older age, low muscle strength, and reduced flexibility. Recurrent injuries are often related to previous tears, especially smaller tears in the biceps femoris muscle. Objective: The primary objective is to describe the protocol for a randomized controlled trial designed to assess the efficacy of a combined program of therapeutic exercises and therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) compared with therapeutic exercises alone for the rehabilitation of partially injured hamstring muscles in elite soccer players. Design: Study protocol for a parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Methods: A total of 150 elite soccer players with a history of hamstring injury from eight professional clubs will be randomly allocated to two groups: 75 players in the intervention group will receive TUS combined with a structured therapeutic exercise program, and 75 players in the control group will follow the same exercise program without TUS. All participants will be actively engaged in training and matches and will have clinically and radiologically confirmed partial hamstring strains without other relevant medical conditions. The trial will evaluate whether combining TUS with exercises improves rehabilitation outcomes, reduces time to return to full team training, and contributes to injury prevention in high-performance athletes. Conclusion: This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial that will evaluate the effects of therapeutic exercises with and without TUS in the rehabilitation of partially injured hamstring muscles in elite soccer players. The findings are expected to inform sports medicine practitioners about the potential role of TUS as an adjunct to exercise-based rehabilitation. Given the mixed evidence regarding the effectiveness of TUS in musculoskeletal conditions, this study will contribute additional data on its possible benefits in this specific athletic population. Trial registration: NCT06165783. 000170447 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/B21-23R-GAIAP 000170447 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby-nc$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/deed.es 000170447 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000170447 700__ $$aCuenca-Zaldivar, Juan Nicolás 000170447 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0003-2683-7346$$aAguilar-Latorre, Alejandra$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000170447 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-0061-3312$$aGómez-Soria, Isabel$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000170447 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-4307-796X$$aCalatayud, Estela$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000170447 7102_ $$11006$$2413$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Fisiatría y Enfermería$$cÁrea Fisioterapia 000170447 7102_ $$14009$$2735$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Psicología y Sociología$$cÁrea Psicolog.Evolut.Educac 000170447 773__ $$g21, 4 (2026), 440-452$$tInternational Journal of Sports Physical Therapy$$x2159-2896 000170447 8564_ $$s602322$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/170447/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000170447 8564_ $$s2150964$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/170447/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000170447 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:170447$$particulos$$pdriver 000170447 951__ $$a2026-04-18-10:49:45 000170447 980__ $$aARTICLE