Return to Play After Soleus Muscle Injuries

Background: Soleus muscle injuries are common in different sports disciplines. The time required for recovery is often difficult to predict, and reinjury is common. The length of recovery time might be influenced by different variables, such as the involved part of the muscle. Hypothesis: Injuries in the central aponeurosis have a worse prognosis than injuries of the lateral or medial aponeurosis as well as myofascial injuries. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A total of 61 high-level or professional athletes from several sports disciplines (soccer, tennis, track and field, basketball, triathlon, and field hockey) were reviewed prospectively to determine the recovery time for soleus muscle injuries. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation was performed on 44 soleus muscle injuries. The association between the different characteristics of the 5 typical muscle sites, including the anterior and posterior myofascial and the lateral, central, and medial aponeurosis disruption, as well as the injury recovery time, were determined. Recovery time was correlated with age, sport, extent of edema, volume, cross-sectional area, and retraction extension or gap. Results: Of the 44 patients with muscle injuries who were analyzed, there were 32 (72.7%) strains affecting the myotendinous junction (MT) and 12 (23.7%) strains of the myofascial junction. There were 13 injuries involving the myotendinous medial (MTM)