CHALLENGES AND TRENDS IN INJURY RECOVERY AND PREVENTION IN HIGH-IMPACT SPORTS: A BIBLIOMETRIC APPROACH

Abstract

The practice of high-impact sports such as rugby, mountain biking, soccer, and gymnastics has increased significantly in recent decades, generating growing scientific interest in their physical and psychological consequences. Current studies reveal extensive but asymmetrically documented injuries associated with these disciplines, ranging from dental and joint trauma to concussions, muscle imbalances, and psychological disorders linked to pain or rehabilitation. This study seeks to address the research question: How can conceptual term co-occurrence network analysis identify the challenges in recovery and prevention of injuries in high-impact sports? To this end, a bibliometric co-occurrence network analysis was conducted based on 2,006 conceptual terms defined by 1,434 authors. The findings delineate four main clusters: Cluster 1: Prevention of bone and musculoskeletal injuries in high-impact sports—exercise, risk factors, and integral health; Cluster 2: Biomechanics, neuromuscular control, and prevention of lower-limb injuries in high-impact sports; Cluster 3: Concussions, neuroimaging, and cognitive sequelae in high-impact sports; Cluster 4: Knee injuries, tissue regeneration, and rehabilitation strategies in high-impact sports. These results highlight emerging research gaps that can be further explored through advanced quantitative techniques aimed at deepening conceptual structures and defining new constructs.