Hamstring and Rectus Femoris Injury Rehabilitation in Athletes: Two Expert-Developed Aspetar Pathways Rated by Elite Sport Practitioners

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who manage athletes with thigh muscle injuries in sports, outpatient orthopedic, and performance settings, and who want a clear account of how two published rehabilitation pathways are structured and how strong the evidence behind them is.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Physical therapist assistants may take this course; the pathway content described here is carried out under the direction and supervision of the evaluating physical therapist, who holds responsibility for examination, diagnosis, progression criteria, and plan-of-care decisions.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Intermediate

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course is based on two source papers:

Simpson D, Wallace S, King E, McKeever H, Whiteley R. The Aspetar Hamstring Injury Rehabilitation Pathway. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(3):340-353. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0213

Wallace S, Simpson D, McKeever H, Whiteley R, King E. The Aspetar Rectus Femoris Injury Rehabilitation Pathway. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(3):354-366. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0212

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe how the Aspetar hamstring and rectus femoris rehabilitation pathways were developed and externally reviewed, and state what kind of evidence each paper provides about them.
2. Name the phase-based components and criteria-based milestones each pathway uses to progress an athlete from early loading toward unrestricted return to training.
3. Distinguish the elements the two pathways share from the elements that differ by muscle group, and explain why neither paper can claim the pathways improve clinical outcomes.

1. Start Here: Course Overview and How to Earn Credit
2. Part One: The Aspetar Hamstring Injury Rehabilitation Pathway
3. Hamstring Injury Burden and the Gap the Pathway Was Written to Address
4. How the Hamstring Pathway Was Developed and Externally Reviewed
5. Inside the Hamstring Pathway: Phases, Milestones, and Exercise Streams
6. What the Reviewers Agreed With, Where They Diverged, and What the Study Cannot Claim
7. Part Two: The Aspetar Rectus Femoris Injury Rehabilitation Pathway
8. Rectus Femoris Injuries in Elite Sport and Why These Pathways Are Hard to Test
9. How the Rectus Femoris Pathway Was Built and Surveyed
10. Inside the Rectus Femoris Pathway: Assessment, Strength at Long Lengths, Running, and Kicking
11. Where Agreement Was High, Where It Fell Short, and What the Authors Concluded
12. Bringing It Together
13. What the Two Pathways Agree On
14. Where the Two Papers and Their Reviewers Diverge
15. Reading Stage Criteria Rather Than Elapsed Time at the Treatment Table
16. What Remains Open and What Prospective Research Would Have to Show
17. Key Takeaways
18. Post-Test and Course Evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 1.0 contact hour (60 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. Simpson D, Wallace S, King E, McKeever H, Whiteley R. The Aspetar Hamstring Injury Rehabilitation Pathway. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(3):340-353. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0213
2. Wallace S, Simpson D, McKeever H, Whiteley R, King E. The Aspetar Rectus Femoris Injury Rehabilitation Pathway. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(3):354-366. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0212