SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME 2026
DAY 3 - MONDAY, 20th APRIL 2026
The main programme will be held in three large spaces: Aristotle, Socrates and Hippocrates. It will be divided in Traditional Sessions, Open Debates and Next Generation Leaders according to the following colour codes.
Traditional Sessions
Next Generation Leaders
ARISTOTLE
DAY 3 - MONDAY Aristotle
MUSCLE INJURIES: FROM CELLS TO PERFORMANCE
Chairs: Lepley L (USA), Malliaropoulos N (UK)
| 08:30 | Everything starts from the cell: tweaking cellular mechanisms to reach the top | Bayer M (DEN) |
| 08:45 | From tear to repair: MRI's role in evaluating muscle healing | Kassarjian A (ESP) |
| 09:00 | Quadriceps muscle injuries: from trends to RTP | Hagglund M (SWE) |
| 09:15 | The newest surgical indications for muscle injuries | Laver L (ISR) |
| 09:30 | Complete return to performance after hamstring injury: is it possible? | Eirale C (QAT) |
| 09:45 | Discussion |
DAY 3 - MONDAY Aristotle
INJURY PREVENTION IN FOOTBALL: ACL AND BEYOND
Chairs: Grooms D (USA), Osbahr D (USA)
| 10:30 | From young to professional football: adapting ACL injury prevention | Walden M (SWE) |
| 10:45 | Practical solutions to implement ACL prevention worldwide | Pearle A (USA) |
| 11:00 | Beyond biomechanics: neurocognitive training in football players | Rodas G (ESP) |
| 11:15 | Latest advancement in hamstring injury prevention | Heiderscheit B (USA) |
| 11:30 | Which biomechanical factors are associated to second ACL injury? | Powers C (USA) |
| 11:45 | Discussion |
DAY 3 - MONDAY Aristotle
KEY FACTORS IN TRANSITIONING FROM REHABILITATION TO PERFORMANCE
Chairs: Clubb J (UK), Davison M (UK)
| 12:00 | Conceptual and multidisciplinary overview: defining 'Return to Performance' | Knowles B (USA) |
| 12:15 | Strength, power, and neuromuscular restoration as the physical foundation | Read P (UK) |
| 12:30 | Football fitness reconditioning and assessment of readiness capacities | Buchheit M (FRA) |
| 12:45 | On-field rehabilitation and movement retraining as the gateway back to football | Buckthorpe M (UK) |
| 13:00 | Load restoration and return to performance integration. | Clubb J (UK) |
| 13:15 | Discussion |
DAY 3 - MONDAY Aristotle
From Greek gods to NBA stars: what we can learn from basketball medicine
Chairs: Davison M (UK), Williams R (USA)
| 14:00 | Connecting the dots between football and basketball medicine | Davison M (UK) |
| 14:05 | Adapting sports medicine practice to the basketball player | Koukolias N (GRE) |
| 14:20 | Optimizing performance and return to play in NBA setting | Coles P (USA) |
| 14:35 | Integrating biomechanical testing in basketball: the NBA experience | Chaaban C (USA) |
| 14:50 | Discussion |
DAY 3 - MONDAY Aristotle
INTEGRATING COMPLEX DATA: THE FUTURE OF RTP
Chairs: Powers C (USA), Zago M (ITA)
| 15:00 | The role of artificial intelligence in orthopaedic sports medicine | Samuelsson K (SWE) |
| 15:15 | Integrating complex data in ACL rehabilitation | Kotsifaki R (QAT) |
| 15:30 | Complex data made easy: movement phenotyping and beyond | Di Paolo S (ITA) |
| 15:45 | The biokinetic approach in return to play decision | Metsavaht L (BRA) |
| 16:00 | Including objective data in return to performance: the clinician perspective | Danelon F (ITA) |
HIPPOCRATES
DAY 3 - MONDAY Hippocrates
GETTING READY FOR PERFORMANCE: FOOTBALL RECONDITIONING
Chairs: Ahmed O (UK), Bizzini M (SUI)
| 08:30 | Tech in RTP: tool or trap | Buchheit M (FRA) |
| The 5 best Free Communication Abstracts on Football Reconditioning will be selected and included in this session | ||
DAY 3 - MONDAY Hippocrates
TARGETING INJURY PREVENTION VIA PRE-SEASON SCREENING
Chairs: Martinez D (ARG), Mazzoni S (ITA)
| 10:30 | Preseason screening: beyond the current gold standard | Gouttebarge V (NED) |
| 10:45 | Preparing US team for the 2026 World Cup | Chiampas G (USA) |
| 10:55 | The Panathinaikos approach in pre-season players screening | Chissas D (GRE) |
| 11:05 | The German strategy in safeguarding football players health and development | Krutsch W (GER) |
| 11:15 | Delivering robust pre-signing medical assessments in professional football | Broman D (UK) |
| 11:25 | The Isokinetic Medical Group approach in pre-season team screening | Tosarelli F (ITA) |
| 11:35 | Discussion |
DAY 3 - MONDAY Hippocrates
MANAGEMENT OF MOST COMMON INJURIES IN FOOTBALL
Chairs: Lucarno S (SUI), Pedrinelli A (BRA)
| 12:00 | Return to performance after ACL-R in professional female football players | Ball S (UK) |
| 12:15 | Rectus femoris injury: an increasing problem in football? | Pedret C (ESP) |
| 12:25 | Meniscus injuries management in the football player: from medial to lateral | Monaco E (ITA) |
| 12:35 | Fifth metatarsal fractures: prevention and treatment strategies in football players | Saita Y (JAP) |
| 12:45 | Hamstring injuries in professional football: a guide for the clinician | Van Dyk N (IRL) |
| 12:55 | From Australian to European football: ACL injuries across the border | D'Alessandro P (AUS) |
| 13:05 | Discussion |
DAY 3 - MONDAY Hippocrates
LATIN AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONMEBOL
Chairs: Villalon JM (ESP)
| 14:00 | Presentation. CONMEBOL Medical Commission | Pangrazio O (PAR) |
| 14:08 | Playing protocol at altitude | Calderón N (BOL) |
| 14:16 | Muscle injuries and ACL tears in women's football | Cheyre J (CHI) |
| 14:24 | Injuries in forgotten football: futsal and beach football | Forriol F (ESP) |
| 14:32 | Concussion and return to play | Stumbo D (ARG) |
| 14:40 | Application of the new concussion substitution card in long tournaments | Pedrinelli A (BRA) |
| 14:48 | Discussion |
DAY 3 - MONDAY Hippocrates
RETURN TO PERFORMANCE: TOP CLUBS' BEST PRACTICES
Chairs: Mandelbaum B (USA), Vazquez C (ESP)
| 15:00 | From National team to club: Brazilian strategies in chasing performance | Lasmar R (BRA) |
| 15:15 | Staying at the top of Spanish football after ACL injuries: my experience | Leyes M (ESP) |
| 15:25 | Return to performance framework across men and women football | Bittencourt N (BRA) |
| 15:35 | ACL Rupture in Football. From player to surgeon and team doctor: a personal perspective | Nikolaou P (GRE) |
| 15:45 | RTP strategies of the Champions League winner | Til-Perez L (FRA) |
| 15:55 | Building and maintaining in top English football | Chadd N (UK) |
| 16:05 | Discussion |