Carles Pedret

Profile

I am an internationally recognised sports medicine physician specialising in muscle injuries, musculoskeletal ultrasound and imaging guided clinical decision making in elite sport.

My clinical and research work focuses on the diagnosis, prognosis and management of muscle and tendon injuries, with particular expertise in imaging informed return to play strategies. I have extensive experience working within professional sport and regularly advises clubs and organisations across major international leagues including the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1, as well as teams competing in the NBA and NFL.

Alongside clinical practice, I am actively involved in teaching and research in sports medicine and musculoskeletal imaging. My work has contributed to advancing understanding of muscle injury mechanisms and improving imaging based diagnostic and rehabilitation strategies used in elite sport.

At the University of Leeds I contribute to postgraduate education in sport and exercise medicine and musculoskeletal ultrasound, supporting the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine and the PGCert in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound.

Professional experience

I combine academic work with extensive clinical and applied experience in elite sport. I currently work as a sports medicine physician and musculoskeletal ultrasound specialist at Clínica CMI Diagonal in Barcelona.

Throughout my career I have held advisory and clinical roles within professional sport and have worked with athletes competing at the highest levels of international competition. I previously served as a medical advisor to FC Barcelona and have worked within sports medicine centres, hospital trauma departments and emergency medicine services in Spain.

I also contribute to the academic sports medicine community through editorial roles and currently serve as Associate Editor of Apunts. Medicina de l'Esport.

Responsibilities

• Visiting Professor in Sport and Exercise Medicine

Research interests

My research focuses on the mechanisms, diagnosis and management of muscle and tendon injuries in sport, particularly the role of imaging in prognosis and return to play decision making.

My research interests include:

• Muscle injury anatomy, histology and connective tissue structure
• Imaging based prognosis of muscle injuries
• Musculoskeletal ultrasound and sonoanatomy
• MRI diagnosis of sports related injuries
• Tendinopathy mechanisms and treatment
• Injury risk and reinjury prevention in athletes
• Imaging informed return to play strategies

My work has contributed to improving understanding of the relationship between muscle architecture, connective tissue structures and injury patterns in athletes.

Selected publications

• Pedret, C., et al. (2025). A New Anatomical Approach to T-Junction Hamstring Injuries.
• Pedret, C. (2025). Diagnostic ultrasound of muscle injuries: what the sports medicine clinician should know.
• Pedret, C., et al. (2024). Muscle Healing in Sports Injuries: MRI Findings and Proposed Classification Based on a Single Institutional Experience and Clinical Observation.
• Pedret, C., et al. (2024). Magnetic resonance classification proposal for medial gastrocnemius muscle injuries.
• Pedret C. et al. (2024) Histological Definition of Skeletal Muscle Injury: A Guide to Nomenclature Along the Connective Tissue Sheath Structure.
• Pedret, C., et al. (2023). Pathways driving tendinopathy and enthesitis: siblings or distant cousins in musculoskeletal medicine?
• Pedret C. et al. (2023) Managing Lower Limb Muscle Reinjuries in Athletes: From Risk Factors to Return to Play Strategies.
• Pedret C. et al. (2023) MRI Findings Prior to Return to Play as Predictors of Reinjury in Professional Athletes.
• Pedret, C., et al. (2022). Anatomical Variability of the Soleus Muscle: A Key Factor for the Prognosis of Injuries?
• Pedret C. et al. (2022) Hamstring Muscle Injuries: MRI and Ultrasound for Diagnosis and Prognosis.
• Pedret, C., et al. (2021). Muscle Madness and Making a Case for Muscle-Specific Classification Systems: A Leap from Tissue Injury to Organ Injury and System Dysfunction
• Pedret, C., et al. (2020). Ultrasound classification of medial gastrocnemious injuries
• Pedret C. et al. (2020) The MLG R Muscle Injury Classification for Hamstrings
• Pedret, C., et al. (2019). Sonographic landmarks in hamstring muscles
• Pedret C. et al. (2015) Return to Play After Soleus Muscle Injuries

Qualifications

• PhD in Medicine and Surgery Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
• Specialist in Sports Medicine Universitat de Barcelona
• MD in Medicine and Surgery Universitat Rovira i Virgili
• Masters in Sports Traumatology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Universitat de Barcelona

Student education

I am an experienced international educator in sports medicine and musculoskeletal imaging. I regularly lecture on postgraduate programmes and professional courses in sports traumatology and ultrasound imaging. My teaching includes contributions to programmes at the Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the University of Girona, as well as specialist international courses in musculoskeletal ultrasound and sports medicine.

I have also delivered invited lectures and workshops at international conferences including the Isokinetic Conference series and specialist sports medicine meetings across Europe.

At Leeds I contribute to postgraduate teaching in sport and exercise medicine and musculoskeletal ultrasound, bringing experience from clinical practice in elite sport.