Accelerated Return to Competition Following a Full-Thickness Abdominal Wall Tear in an Elite Sprinter: A Data-informed Case Report.
Background: Muscle strain injuries are a leading cause of time loss in elite sport. While lower-limb muscle strains are well documented, full-thickness lateral abdominal wall tears involving the external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus abdominis are rare in elite sprinting, with limited e...
| Published in: | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy Vol. 21; no. 8; pp. 790 - 802 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
| Format: | case study diagnostic images pictorial tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy
2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=196219926&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 196219926 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 21592896 BKL5 jtl: International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy issn: 21592896 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: 2026 vid: 21 iid: 8 pid: 38303 pub: North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy place: Indianapolis, Indiana artinfo: ui: 196219926 196219926 196219926 10.26603/001c.165381 196219926 ppf: 790 ppct: 12 formats: tig: atl: Accelerated Return to Competition Following a Full-Thickness Abdominal Wall Tear in an Elite Sprinter: A Data-informed Case Report. aug: au: Carragher, Paul O'Leary, Frank Kirby, Kate McCarthy, Martina Cullen, Sarh Jane Brady, Claire J affil: Institute Sport Ireland sug: subj: Abdominal Muscles Injuries Athletic Injuries Rehabilitation Rehabilitation, Athletic Sports Re-Entry Male Young Adult Athletes, Elite Psychosocial Factors Sprinting Physiology Abdominal Injuries Rehabilitation Kinematics Decision Making, Shared Multidisciplinary Care Team Athletic Performance Collaboration Individualized Medicine Clinical Reasoning Magnetic Resonance Imaging Range of Motion Task Performance and Analysis Male ab: Background: Muscle strain injuries are a leading cause of time loss in elite sport. While lower-limb muscle strains are well documented, full-thickness lateral abdominal wall tears involving the external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus abdominis are rare in elite sprinting, with limited evidence to guide rehabilitation or return-to-sport decision-making. The purpose of this case report was to describe the rehabilitation and return-to-competition process following a full-thickness lateral abdominal wall tear in an elite international sprinter. # Case Description A 22-year-old elite international sprinter sustained a full-thickness tear of the external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus abdominis during block acceleration. Rehabilitation commenced two days post-injury and emphasized early optimal loading, objective monitoring using trunk force profiling and sprint kinematic assessment, and collaborative decision-making across the medical, coaching, and performance teams. Progression was guided by athlete response and objective performance data rather than predetermined time-based criteria. # Outcomes Pain-free sprinting was achieved within 16 days, unrestricted training resumed by Day 18, and the athlete returned to competition on Day 28, recording a lifetime personal best of 10.08 seconds in the 100 m. Persistent asymmetries remained in selected trunk force measures despite successful return to competition. # Discussion This case report provides a descriptive example of individualized, data-informed rehabilitation following a severe abdominal wall injury and may contribute to ongoing discussion regarding the role of objective monitoring, clinical reasoning, and symmetry restoration in return-to-sport decision-making. # Level of Evidence 4 pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: case study diagnostic images pictorial tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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