ReviewCureus2025
Muscle or Fascial System Lesion (Part II): The Medial Gastrocnemius and the "Tennis Leg" Paradigm.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A systematic review of pes anserinus variations, their anatomical types, prevalence, and clinical reflections.Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA · 2025Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Muscle injuries have traditionally been interpreted as disruptions of contractile fibers. Increasing evidence, however, highlights the central role of the intramuscular connective tissue system - including endomysium, perimysium, epimysium, aponeuroses, and extracellular matrix - in force transmission, injury susceptibility, and recurrence risk. Medial gastrocnemius strain, or "tennis leg," exemplifies how myoconnective architecture dictates injury mechanics. The biomechanical interplay between the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) and between the MG and soleus (Sol) may represent key determinants of tissue failure through aponeurotic shear and displacement mismatches. Biological healing times, including the expected phases of inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling, provide a framework for safe return-to-play and help tailor rehabilitation timing according to lesion severity and location. Ultrasound imaging is a valuable tool to precisely localize the lesion, distinguish contractile from connective tissue involvement, and guide clinical decision-making, allowing monitoring of tissue continuity, early scar formation, and readiness for progressive loading. This etiopathogenetic framework has direct therapeutic implications. Rehabilitation should include a progressive therapeutic exercise program - from isometric to concentric, eccentric, and plyometric loading - complemented by neuromuscular coordination drills. Such programs must be calibrated by joint angle and mechanical demand to improve viscoelastic properties and optimize connective tissue adaptation, thereby enhancing fascial resilience and neuromuscular efficiency. Complementary manual therapy, aimed at restoring fascial continuity, correcting articular restrictions (particularly at the subtalar joint), and optimizing posterior myofascial chain function, represents an essential component of treatment. When integrated with ultrasound-guided monitoring and aligned with biological healing timelines, these approaches might support safer functional recovery, contribute to lowering recurrence risk, and offer a preventive framework for athletes at high risk of re-injury.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.