THERMOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT FOR THE PREVENTION OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN ATHLETES: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW COVERING THE SPINE AND UPPER AND LOWER LIMBS

Abstract

This article aimed to synthesise the evidence published between 2020 and 2026 on the use of infrared thermography (IRT) for the prevention and monitoring of musculoskeletal injuries of the spine, upper limb and lower limb in athletes. This is an integrative review, with searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, PEDro and Google Scholar, including studies with athletes of both sexes aged 18 to 50 years assessed by IRT, published in Portuguese, English or Spanish. Methodological quality was appraised with the PEDro scale and the Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Of the 592 records identified, 20 studies composed the final sample. Evidence clustered on the lower limb, mainly in football; the upper limb was represented by few studies; and the spine was the least investigated region, with no prospective study of injury prediction. Findings were consistent regarding the sensitivity of the method to training load and tissue repair, but divergent regarding its isolated predictive value. It is concluded that thermography is useful as an adjunct for load and return-to-sport monitoring, but does not support isolated use as an injury predictor.