The Athens Sports Medicine Night, held at Isokinetic Athens within the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA), brought together health and sports professionals for an evening dedicated to hamstring injuries and the pathway from diagnosis to the athlete’s safe return to competition. The collaborative atmosphere encouraged constructive dialogue among doctors, physiotherapists, and athletic training specialists.
The event was coordinated by two prominent figures: Kyriakos Tsapralis, Director of Isokinetic Athens and President of the European College of Sports and Exercise Physicians, and Andreas Piskopakis, Director of Orthopedics–Sports Medicine at the Athens Medical Center.
As the keynote speaker, Nikolaos Piskopakis, Orthopedic Surgeon and Director of the Sports Injury Clinic, analyzed both surgical and conservative treatment of hamstring injuries, drawing from his extensive experience with professional and national teams.
Dr. Eleftherios Alexiou, specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, with experience at the Attica Rehabilitation Center and the Olympiacos U19 team, highlighted the importance of comprehensive functional assessment and evidence-based rehabilitation. His athletic background as a former professional tennis player and member of the national Davis Cup team added significant weight to his presentation.
Physiotherapist Ioannis Kangas, experienced with top-level football and basketball teams, emphasized the importance of prevention programs, the transition from the rehabilitation setting to the competitive environment, and the progressive reintegration onto the field.
The discussion addressed topics such as biomechanics, imaging, objective return-to-play criteria, and interdisciplinary collaboration, with references to the most recent research and current European practices.
The evening concluded with a highly engaging exchange of ideas in a very friendly and pleasant atmosphere of cooperation, reaffirming Isokinetic Athens as a reference point for excellence in sports medicine.
