The Role of Video Analysis in Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation

Jan. 8, 2025, 8:27 p.m.

In high-performance sports, injuries pose a significant challenge not only for athletes but also for teams and coaching staff. Injury prevention and effective rehabilitation are fundamental pillars for the success and longevity of athletes. In this context, video analysis has become an essential tool that allows us to minimize risks and optimize recovery processes.

 

Identifying Movement Patterns

One of the greatest advantages of video analysis is its ability to break down movement patterns with unmatched detail. By reviewing recordings frame by frame, it is possible to detect misalignments, compensations, or improper techniques that could lead to overuse injuries or acute accidents.

Let’s consider some practical examples to make this easier to understand:

• In the case of a striker, it could reveal poor posture when landing after a jump, increasing the risk of knee injuries.

• For a baseball pitcher, it could identify a repetitive motion that generates excessive stress on the shoulder.

Recognizing and addressing these behaviours and patterns allow us to implement specific technical adjustments to enhance the player’s performance while proactively reducing the risk of injuries.
 

Monitoring workload and fatigue

Another key aspect is the relationship between workload and injury risk. Through video analysis, combined with other data, signs of fatigue in athletes can be identified, such as a decline in movement quality or changes in biomechanics.

In team sports like football, it is possible to analyze the frequency of sprints, explosive turns, or jumps and adjust training sessions to keep players within safe physical load limits.

With Longomatch, for example, this information can be extracted using tags like “Sprint,” “Explosive Turn,” or “Jump,” which can then be classified using the automatically generated match statistics. By feeding this data into a platform such as Power BI, we can identify player trends and evaluate whether proposed technical changes are improving their performance.

A key ally in rehabilitation

Video analysis also plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation process after an injury. These tools can be used in cases such as:

• Monitoring the athlete’s progress: By comparing recordings, we can assess whether mobility and coordination are improving as expected.

• Correcting compensatory movements: Players often adapt their natural movement patterns after an injury, which can lead to setbacks. Video analysis helps to identify and correct these alterations precisely.

For instance, during the rehabilitation process of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, a player might unconsciously protect the affected leg by landing incorrectly on the foot, which can be observed through video during the analysis of a match or training session.
 

Long-term Prevention Based on Data

In addition to its immediate impact, video analysis contributes to long-term injury prevention. Over time, data collected from multiple players help identify common trends and specific vulnerabilities for each sport. This can lead to:

• Adjustments in training designs to strengthen key muscles.

• Modifications in equipment, such as specialized footwear.

• Changes in rules, like measures to reduce the impact of collisions in contact sports.
 

The Future of Video Analysis in Sports Medicine

Technology continues to advance, and tools such as real-time video analysis or the ability to create statistics and export data to share with other technical staff members are expanding possibilities even further. This benefits not only elite athletes but also those in the early stages of development, enabling safer and more effective preparation from the beginning.

 

The economic impact

Preventing injuries is not only crucial for maintaining athletic performance but also for safeguarding the club’s finances. Avoiding severe injuries helps reduce recovery costs, ensures a return on investment in players by keeping them available, and avoids unexpected expenses in emergency signings. Moreover, a healthy team strengthens the club’s competitive and commercial value.

 

Conclusion

Injury prevention and rehabilitation are no longer solely medical concerns; they are integral parts of sports strategy. Video analysis has proven to be a bridge between performance and health, offering insights that enable proactive and informed decision-making.

This approach not only reduces the number of injuries or improves preventive processes but also boosts athletes’ confidence and performance.