Prevalence and severity of groin problems in Spanish football: A prospective study beyond the time‐loss approach

Abstract

The time‐loss definition of injury is commonly adopted in epidemiological groin‐injury studies in football, with a significant risk of underestimating the impact of these injuries. This study investigated the extent of groin problems, beyond the time‐loss approach, over a full Spanish football season. Players from 17 amateur male teams were followed over 39 consecutive weeks. Groin‐injury time loss and self‐reported groin pain, irrespective of time loss, were combined to calculate the average weekly prevalence of all groin problems with or without time loss. A subscale measuring hip‐ and groin‐related sporting function from the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score questionnaire (HAGOS, Sport/Rec) was registered every 4 weeks. In total, 407 players participated in the study. The average (range) weekly prevalence of all groin problems was 11.7% (7.2%‐20.8%); 1.3% with time loss (0.0%‐3.2%) and 10.4% without time loss (6.3%‐17.6%). Players with groin problems reported lower scores (mean difference) on the HAGOS, Sport/Rec subscale compared with players without (−19.5 [95% CI: −20.7 to −18.4]), while there was no difference between players reporting groin problems with and without time loss (4.0 [95% CI: −1.1 to 9.1]). The traditional time‐loss measure only captured 10% of all groin problems. Hip‐ and groin‐related sporting function was not different between players reporting groin problems with or without time loss, suggesting the reason for continuing to play is not only related to the severity of symptoms. These findings question the judicious use of the time‐loss approach in overuse conditions, such as groin pain in footballers.

Incidence, Prevalence, and Severity of and Risk Factors for Hip and Groin Problems in Swedish Male Ice Hockey Players: A 1-Season Prospective Cohort Study

“…Non-time-loss injuries account for 82% of all hip and groin problems in ice hockey goalkeepers 11 , and even more in other sports such as football 12 . Players have considerable impairments in O n l i n e F i r s t hip-related sporting function, regardless of an injury leads to time loss or not 11,12 , which should be accounted for in attempts to describe their burden.…”

Adductor Muscles Strength and Strength Asymmetry as Risk Factors for Groin Injuries among Professional Soccer Players: A Prospective Study

“…Recent epidemiological data suggest that 20-25% of all players sustain a time-loss groin injury in a season [3,4], with recurrence injury rate ranging from 14% [3] to 30% [5]. Note, however, that the traditional time-loss measure captures only up to one third of all groin problems in male soccer players [6,7]. Hence, groin problems represent a significant health and performance burden in men's soccer.…”

Changes in the kinetics and kinematics of a reactive cut maneuver after successful athletic groin pain rehabilitation

“…Affected athletes present with painful structures around the groin and anterior pelvic area, which are commonly aggravated by dynamic loading of bony and musculotendinous tissue in the region 9 . Multiple risk factors have been reported, including sport, playing position, training history, and hip adductor strength, 10,11 but the etiology and optimal treatment of the condition remain poorly understood because AGP often follows a protracted sub‐acute presentation, during which athletes continue to train and play, 1,12 and has a high recurrence rate 13 …”