From the Field to the Screen: A Scoping Review of Video Analysis as a Tool for Understanding Thigh Muscle-Tendon Injuries in Football

Objective: Muscle-tendon injuries are critical setbacks in professional football, significantly affecting player availability and team performance. Understanding these injury mechanisms through video analysis is crucial for developing effective prevention and rehabilitation strategies that enhance player welfare and optimize performance. This review aimed to synthesize data from articles that used video analysis to explore mechanisms of thigh muscle-tendon injuries in football. Data source: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from 2010 to 2025 using a scoping review methodology. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Quality Appraisal for Sports Injury Video Analysis Studies (QA-SIVAS) scale. Main results: The review of 10 studies identified that noncontact and indirect contact mechanisms are predominantly responsible for severe thigh muscle-tendon injuries in football. Common injury scenarios involved sprinting-induced strains and kicking actions, highlighting the significant role of eccentric loading and rapid biomechanical changes. Conclusions: Video analysis has emerged as a vital tool in sports medicine, providing deep insights into the complex mechanisms of thigh muscle-tendon injuries in football. The continuous improvement of analytical methods, including the adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, is imperative for refining prevention and rehabilitation protocols.