Search Results (867)

Hip-Hop dance is physically demanding, yet epidemiological data in female dancers remain limited. This mixed observational cohort study described musculoskeletal injury and physical complaint burden, evaluated core endurance and balance, compared female Hip-Hop dancers with healthy non-dancer controls, and examined associations with prospective complaints. Adult female Hip-Hop dancers (n = 31) and controls (n = 34) completed the McGill test battery, Unipedal Stance Test, and modified Star Excursion Balance Test. Dancers also reported prior-year injuries and musculoskeletal complaints and were followed for 12 weeks to record physical complaints and dance exposure. Dancers and controls showed similar anthropometric characteristics, core endurance, and balance scores (all p > 0.05). Musculoskeletal complaint incidence exceeded injury incidence during the previous year (46.1 vs. 0.72 per 1000 dance hours). During follow-up, 41.9% of dancers reported at least one physical complaint, corresponding to 36.6 physical complaints per 1000 dance hours. Trunk extensor endurance was inversely associated with physical complaint counts, whereas prior-year injury and musculoskeletal complaint counts were positively associated. Female Hip-Hop dancers demonstrated substantial overuse-related physical complaint burden despite relatively low injury incidence. Full article

Introduction: Approximately 50% of firefighter injuries occur in the musculoskeletal system and poor movement quality increases injury risk. Previous research suggests that corrective exercise interventions with integrated movements improve movement literacy; however, the long-term benefit of corrective exercise programming has not been established among firefighters. Purpose: To investigate, as a continuation of a previously published short-term (mean—267 days) outcome pilot study, the long-term effectiveness of auto-generated corrective exercise programming on movement literacy scores among firefighters with lower baseline scores. Methods: Nine male firefighters (mean age +/− standard deviation 40 (12)) with baseline Functional Movement System (FMS™) scores less than 14/21 were initially recruited from October 2021 to September 2022. Baseline FMS™ assessments included detailed explanations of the seven movement screens as well as five clearing procedures and scoring criteria. A certified FMS™ professional performed each test first, prior to scoring, to demonstrate what was expected and firefighters were permitted to attempt each test for a total of three times with the highest score retained. Scores ranged from 0 to 3 for each of the seven movement screens with a maximum composite score of 21. Upon completing the screenings, test scores were reviewed and a detailed report was provided to each firefighter through the FMS™PRO APP. Additionally, each participant received an auto-generated corrective exercise program from the FMS™PRO APP with exercise figures, descriptions, and videos to be performed prior to routine conditioning programs. Participants were re-evaluated an average of 813 days after baseline for the long-term follow-up (F2). Pairwise comparisons from baseline to F2, as well as from a previously reported short-term follow-up (F1) to F2, were evaluated using the Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. A Bonferroni correction resulted in an adjusted alpha of p = 0.025. Results: Composite FMS™ scores improved from a baseline mean of 11.3/21 to 14.7/21 at F2. When F2 was compared to the F1 scores from the previously published data set, scores declined by a mean of 1.4 points. Compared with baseline, scores at F2 were significantly improved (p = 0.013) with a large effect size (r = 0.83). In contrast, score declines (r = −0.73) from F1 to F2 were not statistically significant after Bonferroni correction (p = 0.028). Conclusions: An auto-generated corrective exercise program combined with a detailed explanation of baseline performance was effective in improving overall movement literacy in a standardized movement assessment tool in a long-term follow-up exceeding 2 years. The composite score change exceeded the threshold of error based on a previously established minimal detectable change (MDC) of 2.5/21, indicating true change occurred from baseline to F2. The decline from F1 to F2 did not exceed the threshold of error based on the MDC and may represent a regression to the mean and participant acknowledgement of marginal adherence after F1. Long-term adherence to programming is necessary to prevent the tapering of improvements seen in this study. The absence of a comparison or control group is a study limitation. Full article

Background and Objective: Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) and extracorporeal magnetotransduction therapy (EMTT) have shown promising results in various musculoskeletal disorders; however, substantial heterogeneity in application parameters has hindered the establishment of clear relationships between electromagnetic dosing and clinical response. This systematic review aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of PEMF and EMTT therapies for treating chronic musculoskeletal injuries in adults, based on research from 2015 to 2026. By analyzing how specific dosage parameters (such as intensity, frequency, and duration) influence clinical results, the study seeks to establish standardized, evidence-based guidelines for electromagnetic treatment prescriptions. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines and prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251059359). A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and ScienceDirect for the 2015–2025 period. Randomized clinical trials, quasi-experimental studies, and case reports were included. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed by two independent reviewers using RoB 2, ROBINS-I, and Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. Results were synthesized narratively following SWiM (Synthesis Without Meta-analysis) recommendations. Results: Twenty-eight studies (1060 participants) were included. A dosimetric dichotomy emerged: high-intensity protocols with rapid field variation rates (e.g., EMTT > 60 kT/s) were consistently associated with robust improvements in structural and mechanically driven pathologies. Conversely, low-intensity protocols (e.g., <5 mT) often yielded results indistinguishable from placebo or active controls, particularly in nociplastic pain conditions. Quantitative analysis indicated that in structural pathologies, functional gains were maintained or amplified post-treatment, whereas nociplastic conditions showed potential symptom recurrence. No serious adverse events were reported, confirming a favorable safety profile. Conclusions: PEMF and EMTT are promising adjunctive therapies for musculoskeletal disorders, with efficacy appearing sensitive to electromagnetic dosimetry. However, significant methodological heterogeneity and the use of combination therapies limit these findings to exploratory trends. The lack of standardized safety reporting and technical parameters (e.g., waveform, dB/dt) underscores a critical translational gap. Future research must prioritize rigorous, standardized randomized controlled trials to establish definitive, evidence-based therapeutic recommendations. Full article

Since the discovery and characterization of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) some 40 years ago and the development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), opportunities to advance repair and potentially regenerate injured or diseased connective tissues of the musculoskeletal (MSK) system have been intensely investigated. While some advances have been made with some tissues, progress has not been as great as was hoped following the availability of such stem-like cells. Optimizing cell-biomaterial composites in vitro for features such as cell state or extracellular vesicle cargo, structure, composition, biomechanical integrity are likely to be only part of the story and optimizing the environments where such composites have been implanted has not received the same attention. Thus, implanting optimized or near optimized cell-biomaterial composites in acutely or chronically affected implantation sites can compromise the efficacy of such composites to effectively repair/regenerate MSK tissues. This may be due to inflammatory processes, alterations to the remaining tissues in the injury site during development of chronicity, waiting too long to repair residual tissue, or other host factors. Thus, success in realizing the potential of MSC and iPSC may depend, in significant part, on the environment at the implantation site. Further attention to optimizing the implantation site may enhance outcome success with long-term return to tissue function. Furthermore, heterogeneity in patient populations regarding natural factors influencing healing outcomes after injury may also require changes to clinical trial design to assess efficacy of cell therapies. Full article

Playing-related musculoskeletal pain is common among musicians and may affect performance, quality of life, and professional continuity. This exploratory cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of playing-related musculoskeletal pain in student and professional musicians. An anonymous survey was administered to student and professional musicians. Data were analyzed descriptively; normality was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test, and between-group comparisons were performed using Mann–Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, or Fisher exact tests as appropriate. Effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were reported where possible. Ninety-seven musicians participated, including 61 students and 36 professionals. Seventy-three participants (75.3%) reported pain while playing. Compared with musicians without pain, musicians reporting pain showed numerically higher daily practice duration, weekly practice duration, and uninterrupted practice duration, but these differences were not statistically significant. Only 31 participants (32.0%) reported having consulted a physiotherapist. The associations between practice duration and pain were weak and not statistically significant after the corrected analysis. Owing to the cross-sectional design and self-reported outcomes, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and not as evidence of causality. Preventive education, workload management, and improved access to healthcare professionals with expertise in performing arts medicine may help reduce the burden of musculoskeletal symptoms in musicians. Full article

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, yet its impact extends far beyond microbiological cure. Many TB survivors experience persistent structural lung damage or functional impairment consistent with post-TB lung disease, while growing evidence highlights long-term non-respiratory health outcomes. Synthesizing evidence across lung and non- respiratory health outcomes, along with their risk factors, is critical to inform long-term TB care. Methods: We conducted a scoping review including systematic reviews reporting on post-TB long-term health outcomes. A search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE on 27 July 2025, using terms related to “tuberculosis,” “systematic review,” “meta-analysis,” “sequelae” and “long-term health outcomes,” without language restrictions. Results: Nine systematic reviews met inclusion criteria. Most focused on pulmonary outcomes and consistently demonstrated that TB is associated with chronic airflow obstruction, reduced lung function, and an increased long-term risk of lung cancer, although residual confounding from environmental, clinical, and socioeconomic factors cannot be excluded. While younger adults are more prone to developing COPD after TB in high TB burden settings, older individuals face a higher risk of broader post-TB lung sequelae. Evidence suggested that TB survivors are at increased risk of non-respiratory complications. HIV co-infection, low CD4 counts, older age, pre-existing hepatitis, prior TB treatment, and hypoalbuminemia were associated with post-TB liver injury, while baseline hearing impairment and HIV co-infection increased the likelihood of post-TB hearing loss. TB was also linked to elevated risk of several non-pulmonary cancers, including oesophageal, cervical, hematological, pancreatic, and gastric malignancies, with the highest risk within the first year after TB diagnosis and persisting, though attenuated, in subsequent years. Conclusion: TB should be viewed as a chronic condition with enduring lung and non-respiratory health outcomes. TB survivors face increased risks of COPD, lung cancer, and a range of non-respiratory health outcomes, including hepatic and auditory complications, particularly among high-risk groups, such as those living with HIV infection, along with baseline hearing and hepatic impairment. Public health programmes must extend care beyond microbiological cure to include integrated, post-TB long-term monitoring of lung, hepatic and hearing across all ages, including malignancy surveillance, after baseline assessments to identify high-risk TB survivors. Future research should also elucidate risk factors for post-TB malignancy, and clarify the relationship between neurological, renal, and musculoskeletal sequelae and TB to inform evidence-based TB survivorship care. Full article

Dorsal metacarpal disease (DMD) is a common musculoskeletal injury in young racehorses, and effective non-invasive treatments remain of clinical interest. This study aimed to evaluate whether high-intensity laser therapy (HILT), which was applied as the sole intervention in horses retired from training, reduces the clinical signs of DMD compared with untreated controls. During the 2023–2024 racing seasons, 15 Arabian racehorses diagnosed with DMD were enrolled; 9 received HILT and 6 served as controls without laser therapy. The treatment protocol consisted of five daily HILT sessions followed by five sessions administered every other day. Thermographic, orthopedic, and radiographic examinations of the third metacarpal bones were performed before and after the treatment period in both groups, with additional thermographic and clinical assessments conducted throughout therapy. The results showed that horses treated with HILT did not exhibit a significant reduction in pain and lameness accompanied by thermographic changes consistent with decreased inflammation. These findings indicate that HILT did not alleviate clinical signs associated with DMD in the affected horses; however, further controlled studies are required to determine its effect on tissue healing processes and to optimize treatment duration. Full article

Background/Objectives: Tendon and ligament injuries are challenging conditions because of limited vascularization, slow collagen turnover, and prolonged rehabilitation timelines. This narrative review aimed to synthesize current evidence on nutritional strategies that may support connective tissue rehabilitation and return-to-activity or return-to-sport progression. Methods: This narrative review synthesized the relevant clinical, mechanistic, and applied sports nutrition literature identified through targeted database searches and manual reference screening. Results: Adequate energy availability and protein intake emerged as foundational priorities for tissue repair, endocrine and immune function, and tolerance to progressive loading. Collagen or gelatin supplementation with vitamin C before tendon- or ligament-loading exercise may provide targeted substrate and cofactor support for collagen remodeling. Creatine may assist muscle preservation during reduced loading, while micronutrient adequacy and omega-3 fatty acids may support musculoskeletal health and inflammation resolution. Conclusions: Nutrition should be viewed as an adjunct to, rather than a replacement for, structured rehabilitation loading. Phase-specific and individualized nutritional strategies may support rehabilitation when integrated with structured loading; however, additional well-designed clinical trials are needed to determine their effects on clinically meaningful outcomes, including return-to-sport time, reinjury risk, and long-term tissue outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Musculoskeletal discomfort disorders (MSDs) are common occupational health problems among nurses, particularly in critical care settings due to physically demanding tasks and prolonged patient care activities. However, evidence regarding MSDs among critical care nurses in Malaysian teaching hospitals remains limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, severity, and associated workplace factors of musculoskeletal discomfort among critical care nurses in Kelantan, Malaysia. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 308 critical care nurses working at Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire and the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ). Descriptive statistics, simple logistic regression, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 30. Results: The prevalence of severe musculoskeletal discomfort among respondents was high, with 82.1% reporting severe discomfort. Several workplace-related factors were significantly associated with severe musculoskeletal discomfort in the bivariable analysis, including awkward back bending, carrying heavy equipment, manual orthopedic patient handling, insufficient rest breaks, awkward working positions, working while injured, and inadequate training on injury prevention. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified manual orthopedic patient handling (AOR = 1.882, 95% CI: 1.033–3.426, p = 0.039) and insufficient rest breaks during shifts (AOR = 2.581, 95% CI: 1.466–4.543, p = 0.001) as significant predictors of severe musculoskeletal discomfort. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal discomfort is highly prevalent among critical care nurses. Workplace ergonomic strain and inadequate recovery periods significantly contribute to severe musculoskeletal discomfort. Strengthening ergonomic practices, safe patient handling strategies, and occupational health interventions is essential to improve nurses’ well-being and maintain quality patient care. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of binaural beats (BB) on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), kinesiophobia of reinjury and fitness biomarkers in professional athletes with chronic musculoskeletal injuries. Methods: A total of 54 athletes aged 18–25 years, engaged in open-skill sports and experiencing chronic lower-limb injuries for over three months, will be recruited. They will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: an intervention group, a placebo group, and a control group. All athletes will undergo a 15 min auditory intervention five times per week for four weeks. The intervention group will listen to BB embedded in music at high beta and gamma frequencies (30–100 Hz) with guided instructions. The placebo group will receive placebo BB within the same music framework, while the control group will listen only to the music background. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a 4-week follow-up. The primary outcomes will be kinesiophobia of reinjury, ANS function, and heart rate variability (HRV), assessed using the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-17), Sympathetic Skin Response (SSR), and HRV analysis, respectively. Secondary outcomes will include sport-related anxiety and pain beliefs, assessed using the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT-15) and the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory (PBPI-16), respectively; handgrip strength, assessed using the Hand Grip Test; and fitness-related biomarkers, including maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) and blood lactate concentration. Conclusions: These findings may provide evidence supporting BB as a complementary, non-invasive intervention to enhance psychological and physiological rehabilitation in injured athletes. Ethics and Dissemination: The study has received ethical approval and is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and academic presentations. Full article

Firefighting is a high-risk occupation involving intense physical exertion and hazardous environments. Occupational exposures, including combustion byproducts, contribute to long-term cancer risk and acute burn injuries. While line-of-duty fatalities have declined, substantial morbidity remains, particularly among female and wildland firefighters who have historically been underrepresented in research. A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies published after 2010. Search terms included firefighter, fatality, injury, cardiovascular disease, occupational exposure, cancer, wildland, and female. Articles were synthesized using the NIOSH Hierarchy of Controls framework. Cardiovascular events and overexertion remain leading contributors to line-of-duty deaths, while non-fatal injuries are commonly musculoskeletal. Occupational exposures, related to dermal absorption of toxins and improper use of protective equipment, contribute to burn injuries and may increase long-term cancer risk. Wildland firefighters face risks in the expanding wildland-urban interface, such as prolonged smoke exposure and extended exertion, which may elevate cardiopulmonary and cancer risks. Female firefighters face challenges related to ergonomic mismatch with protective equipment primarily designed for male body dimensions. Firefighters face health risks from a variety of environmental and operational factors. Risk mitigation must transition from a reliance on PPE to higher-level engineering and administrative controls. Future research should prioritize longitudinal health tracking and standardized equipment for diverse fire service populations. Full article

Background: COVID-19, a global pandemic, has had a profound impact on the world, overwhelming healthcare systems worldwide. These disruptions were associated with significant disparities in healthcare access to routine consultations and elective surgeries, adversely affecting patient health and altering injury patterns in emergency departments. This retrospective observational study aims to compare patient profiles and treatment during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. Methods: Patients admitted to the orthopaedic and traumatology department before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The full (unmatched) cohort comprised 8413 patients (6175 before, 1188 during, and 1050 after the pandemic). To ensure balanced comparisons, propensity score matching (1:2, based on age, sex, and comorbidities) was applied separately to the during- and after-pandemic groups, each matched against pre-pandemic controls. Collected information incorporated demographics, comorbidities, and injury circumstances. Results: After matching, the during-pandemic group (1188 patients) was compared with 2376 pre-pandemic controls, and the after-pandemic group (1050 patients) with 2100 pre-pandemic controls. A higher proportion of same-region re-injuries was observed during and after the pandemic, as well as higher medical leave during the pandemic and post-pandemic, and longer hospital stays of over 10 days during the pandemic and post-pandemic. Injury patterns changed, with an increase in lower leg injuries and a decrease in wrist injuries during the pandemic. Additionally, the proportion of open wounds was lower during the pandemic. Conclusions: The pandemic and post-pandemic periods were associated with marked changes in trauma care, including more conservative treatment, fewer surgeries, and longer hospital stays. Same-region re-injuries were more frequent and sports-related injuries less frequent—patterns that temporally coincided with the periods of repeated lockdowns. Notably, differences persisted into the post-pandemic period. Given the retrospective, observational design, these findings represent associations rather than causal effects. Full article

Background: Operating room (OR) nurses are at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to physically demanding tasks and the use of heavy lead aprons. Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of a multidimensional ergonomic intervention on injury prevention awareness, compliance, and health outcomes among OR staff. Methods: A prospective quality improvement pilot study was conducted with 33 OR nurses. The intervention, based on the Health Belief Model and Human Factors Engineering, integrated ergonomic education with environmental modifications. Outcomes were assessed via questionnaires, field audits, and sick leave records at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up. Results: Awareness scores improved from 68.7% to 98.8% (p < 0.001). Observational audits demonstrated a reduction in non-ergonomic actions from 2227 to 440 (mean deviations per nurse: 111.4 to 22.0, p < 0.001), with improvements sustained at 6 months. Annual sick leave cases decreased from three to one. Conclusions: A multifaceted real-world pilot intervention combining education with system-level engineering was associated with enhancing ergonomic compliance and reducing unsafe behaviors. This approach fosters the self-efficacy necessary for sustainable WMSD risk mitigation in high-intensity clinical settings. Full article

Pediatric wrist fractures are among the most prevalent musculoskeletal injuries in children. Fracture subtype, including buckle/torus, greenstick, and Salter–Harris physeal injuries, directly influences management and prognosis. Subspecialty radiographic expertise required for subtype classification is not universally available in emergency or resource-limited settings. Deep learning (DL) offers an automated approach to fracture subtype recognition from plain radiographs. This pilot study evaluated convolutional neural network (CNN)-based five-class pediatric wrist fracture classification using the GRAZPEDWRI-DX dataset.A total of 940 pediatric wrist radiographs from GRAZPEDWRI-DX (figshare ID 14825193) were labeled using Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Osteosynthesefragen (AO) pediatric codes into five classes: no fracture, buckle/torus, greenstick, Salter–Harris physeal fracture, and other fracture. Contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) and letterbox resizing to 224 × 224 pixels were applied. Patient-level stratified splits (70/15/15%) prevented data leakage. Three ImageNet-pretrained architectures (DenseNet-169, ResNet-50, and EfficientNet-B4) underwent two-phase transfer learning. Performance was assessed by balanced accuracy, macro F1, macro area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and Cohen’s kappa.DenseNet-169 achieved the highest balanced accuracy (0.371; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.289–0.448), macro F1 (0.334; 95% CI: 0.251–0.416), and macro AUROC (0.669), with Cohen’s kappa of 0.269 on the held-out test set (n = 139) under initial five-epoch pilot training conditions. All three networks exceeded a majority-class (no-information) baseline (balanced accuracy 0.20). Extending training to 50 epochs (approximately 2100 mini-batch iterations) with GPU acceleration substantially improved DenseNet-169 to a balanced accuracy of 0.532 (95% CI: 0.451–0.614), macro F1 of 0.516, and macro AUROC of 0.815, with statistically significant pairwise architecture differences (McNemar p < 0.01); per-class sensitivity was highest for no-fracture detection (0.969) and lowest for buckle/torus fractures (0.393). Gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) confirmed anatomically coherent model saliency at the distal radial metaphysis and physeal plate.DenseNet-169 achieved the best five-class classification performance among evaluated architectures under pilot training conditions, and extended training substantially improved accuracy, although classification accuracy remained below clinically usable thresholds. These results establish a reproducible, patient-stratified DL pipeline and a benchmark for full-dataset training and future methodological development, rather than a clinically deployable tool. Full article

Background/Objectives: Knee injuries and overuse-related disorders are common among athletes participating in jumping sports such as handball and basketball. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography is increasingly used for the assessment of knee pathology; however, evidence regarding the prevalence and clinical relevance of ultrasonographic abnormalities in young athletes remains limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ultrasonographic knee abnormalities in young male handball and basketball athletes and to examine their association with pain intensity. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted between June 2025 and June 2026 and included 69 competitive male athletes (35 handball players and 34 basketball players). All participants underwent bilateral knee ultrasonographic examination using a standardized assessment protocol and completed a questionnaire regarding demographic and training characteristics. Knee pain intensity was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Comparisons between sports were performed using χ² and t-tests, while associations between participant-level ultrasonographic findings and pain were evaluated using independent-samples t-tests (or Mann–Whitney U tests, as appropriate), with Cohen’s d effect sizes and exploratory multivariable linear regression. Sensitivity analyses stratified by sport were additionally performed. Results: Patellar tendinopathy was the most prevalent ultrasonographic abnormality (21.0%), followed by medial meniscal abnormality (15.9%) and infrapatellar bursitis (13.0%). Athletes with patellar tendinopathy, medial meniscal abnormality, or infrapatellar bursitis had significantly higher VAS pain scores than athletes without the corresponding ultrasonographic abnormality. Patellar tendinopathy demonstrated the strongest association with participant-reported pain (VAS: 4.1 ± 1.3; Cohen’s d = 1.24; p < 0.001). Handball athletes exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of patellar tendinopathy than basketball athletes (34.3% vs. 11.8%; OR = 3.90, 95% CI: 1.09–13.95; p = 0.027). In multivariable regression analysis adjusted for age, BMI, sport type, previous knee injury, and weekly training volume, patellar tendinopathy (β = 1.34, p < 0.001), medial meniscal abnormality (β = 0.70, p = 0.017), and infrapatellar bursitis (β = 0.54, p = 0.046) remained independently associated with higher pain scores. The regression model explained 39% of the variance in VAS pain scores (R² = 0.39). Conclusions: Ultrasonographic knee abnormalities are common among young male handball and basketball athletes and are significantly associated with pain intensity. Because ultrasonography has limited ability to characterize intra-articular pathology, particularly the menisci, the ultrasonographic abnormalities identified in this study should not be interpreted as definitive diagnoses, and MRI remains the reference imaging modality when comprehensive evaluation of intra-articular pathology is clinically indicated. Patellar tendinopathy was the most prevalent ultrasonographic abnormality and was most strongly associated with pain intensity. These findings support the use of musculoskeletal ultrasonography as a complementary imaging modality alongside clinical assessment in the evaluation of symptomatic athletes. However, prospective longitudinal studies are required to determine whether these ultrasonographic abnormalities have prognostic value for future pain, functional limitation, or time-loss injury. Full article