The effectiveness of injury prevention programs that include core stability exercises in reducing the incidence of knee injury among soccer players: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia | [b] Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia | [c] Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland | [d] Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia | [e] Department of Physical Therapy, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | [f] Department of Physical Therapy, King Fahd Central Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia | [g] Department of Physical Therapy, Security Forces Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Wesam Saleh A. Al Attar, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al Qura University, PO Box: 715, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia. Tel.: +966 548206504; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The knee is one of the most common sites of injuries among soccer players. The incidence of knee injuries can be reduced by improving the neuromuscular control and core stability. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of injury prevention programs that include core stability exercises in reducing the incidence of knee injuries among soccer players. METHODS: Data were obtained from different databases (1985–2021). Only randomized controlled trials that used injury prevention programs that include core stability exercise to prevent knee injuries were included. The keywords used during the search were ‘knee injuries’, ‘core stability exercises’, ‘FIFA 11+’, ‘prevention of knee injuries’, ‘anterior cruciate ligament injury’ and variations of these search terms. RESULTS: The pooled results of 7828 soccer players and 863700 exposure h showed an overall injury reduction of 56% per 1000 h of exposure in the intervention group compared to the control group with an injury risk ratio of 0.44 (95% CI 0.321–0.619; P= 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Injury prevention programs that include core stability exercises reduce knee injury rates among soccer players by 56% (46% in male and 65% in female soccer players).
