LOWER LIMB TENNIS-RELATED INJURIES

S. Spadafora¹, B. Bauchiero¹ , F. Pezone² , M. Alessio-Mazzola² , V. Salini³, G. Placella³

¹ Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, Milan, Italy
² IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
³ Vita-Salute University, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy

Correspondence to:

Journal of Orthopedics 2024 January-April; 16(1): 9-15
https://doi.org/10.69149/orthopedics/2024v16iss1_2

Received: 19 February 2024 Accepted: 24 March 2024

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Abstract

Tennis is among the world’s most popular sports, widely practiced in the West at both amateur and professional levels. It is a fast-paced sport characterized by abrupt directional ranges, shots, and movements with significant forces at play. It is also often practiced outdoors in different weather conditions, on various types of terrain, with unsuitable clothing, and by players who are often inadequately physically and technically trained. This leads to a high rate of injuries among athletes of all levels; among the various body portions involved, the lower limbs are those most frequently affected, given their crucial role in movement. The injuries that can be encountered are many: joint and ligamentous involvements of the hip, knee, and ankle; tendon and muscle injuries of large muscle groups involved in movement; stress fractures and soft tissue lesions from repeated microdamage; injuries to skin and skin adnexa. These injuries substantially affect the affected person and, if not adequately treated, can deter the tennis player from playing the sport. This is even more evident in the professional athlete, where a sudden return to sport is of vital importance.

Keywords: ankle, hip, injury, joint, knee, ligament, lower limb, muscle, sport, tennis