Magnetic resonance imaging in acute hamstring injury: can we provide a return to play prognosis?

Background: Sports physicians are increasingly requested to perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of acute hamstring muscle injuries and to provide a prognosis of the time to return to play (RTP) on the basis of their findings.

Objectives: To systematically review the literature on the prognostic value of MRI findings for time to RTP in acute hamstring muscle injuries.

Data Sources: The databases of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched in June 2013.