Injuries to accessory head of rectus femoris in professional football players: anatomical description, imaging findings, and clinical implications

Key Points

• This research aims to characterize the accessory head of rectus femoris in athletes to clarify injury patterns and enhance clinical management.
• Descriptive analysis of anatomical variants in professional football players
• Imaging studies to identify accessory head of rectus femoris
• Clinical assessment to evaluate injury severity and rehabilitation approaches
• Identification of accessory rectus femoris head improves diagnostic accuracy
• Prevention of misdiagnosis related to injury severity
• Informed targeted rehabilitation strategies lead to better return-to-play outcomes