Repair Hamstring Tears? Experts Convene, Provide Support
A consensus panel reinforces surgery worth considering in various circumstances
What’s the Claim?
Experts in the care of patients with hamstring muscle tears and avulsions met to identify areas of consensus and found a few, the most relevant being: While most should be treated nonoperatively, surgery is worth considering in athletic patients (especially elite athletes) in certain circumstances, in particular tears with gapping at the zone of tendinous injury and associated loss of tension, symptomatic displaced bony avulsions from the ischium, and proximal free tendon injuries with functionally important symptoms that persist despite nonsurgical care.
How’s It Stack Up?
Findings here came from a Delphi panel — a systematic approach to finding areas of agreement in a group of experts — and the group was large, international, and representative (including scientists, surgeons, nonsurgical physicians, therapists, as well as strength and conditioning specialists and athletic trainers). This approach is not as robust as basing findings on well-done clinical research, but it gives a sense for the state of thought on a topic where that research is sparse (as in this situation, where it’s mostly case series).
