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Soccer players show the highest seasonal groin pain prevalence and the longest time loss from sport among 500 athletes from major team sports

  • SPORTS TRAUMATOLOGY
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

Groin pain is a widely recognized medical issue among athletes. Groin pain can affect both player and team performance and sometimes can be a career-ending injury. The aim of this study was to assess seasonal groin pain prevalence and the average seasonal time loss from sport for each injury in different team sport athletes. The hip and groin functionality at the beginning of the following season was also investigated.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was undertaken on 600 team sport athletes (soccer, futsal, basketball, volleyball, and water polo players). The seasonal prevalence of groin pain, level of competition (professional and non-professional), time loss, and concomitant injuries in addition to groin pain were reported and analyzed. The Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) was used to assess hip and groin pain and function related to sport and activity.

Results

Among the 506 (84%) players included, 123 players (24.3%) reported groin pain. Overall, soccer players reported the highest groin pain prevalence (32.5%) followed by futsal (25.5%), basketball (25.2%), water polo (17.6%) and volleyball players (13.6%). Professional soccer, futsal and basketball athletes showed higher groin pain prevalence in comparison with non-professional athletes (p = 0.02, p = 0.005 and p = 0.004, respectively). The mean time loss from sport due to groin pain was 60.3 ± 66 days in soccer, 41.1 ± 16.6 days in futsal, 31.5 ± 18 days in water polo, 37.2 ± 14.2 days in basketball and 50.8 ± 24.6 days in volleyball. Significantly lower HAGOS values were found in athletes with groin pain for all sports evaluated compared to athletes with no groin pain history (p =  0.0001). Longer time loss from sport was correlated with lower HAGOS values in soccer (p = 0.002) and futsal (p = 0.002) players with groin pain. Concomitant injuries were correlated with lower HAGOS values in water polo players (p = 0.03).

Conclusions

Seasonal groin pain occurs in as many as one in four team sport athletes. Soccer players show the highest groin pain prevalence and the longest time loss from sport. Professional athletes report higher prevalence of groin pain in comparison with non-professional athletes. HAGOS appears to be a valid outcome instrument to measure groin pain, correlating with both time loss from sport and concomitant injuries in athletes.

Level of evidence

Level IV.

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Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, “Magna Græcia” University, “Mater Domini” University Hospital, V.Le Europa, (Loc. Germaneto), 88100, Catanzaro, Italy

    Michele Mercurio, Olimpio Galasso & Giorgio Gasparini

  2. Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “Vincenzo Tiberio”, University of Molise, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 86100, Campobasso, Italy

    Katia Corona & Germano Guerra

  3. A. Gemelli University Hospital Foundation IRCCS, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Simone Cerciello

  4. Casa Di Cura Villa Betania, Rome, Italy

    Simone Cerciello

  5. Marrelli Hospital, Crotone, Italy

    Simone Cerciello

  6. Sports Medicine Center, The Shoulder Center of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

    Brent Joseph Morris

Authors
  1. Michele Mercurio
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  2. Katia Corona
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  3. Olimpio Galasso
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  4. Simone Cerciello
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  5. Brent Joseph Morris
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Contributions

Each author fulfilled each of the authorship requirements. MM designed the study, performed data collection and interpretation, wrote the paper, and drafted the final manuscript as submitted; KC performed statistical analysis, contributed to the interpretation of data, wrote the paper, and drafted the final manuscript as submitted; OG conceptualized and designed the study, and critically revised the manuscript as submitted; SC contributed to the interpretation and analysis of data, wrote the paper and drafted the final manuscript as submitted; BJM made critical revisions of the manuscript for important intellectual content; GG contributed to the interpretation and analysis of data, wrote the paper, and drafted the final manuscript as submitted; GG conceptualized and designed the study, coordinated data collection, and critically reviewed the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript as submitted.

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Correspondence to Katia Corona.

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The study protocol was approved by the local Ethics Committee (Mater Domini Ethics committee), and the research was conducted in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Mercurio, M., Corona, K., Galasso, O. et al. Soccer players show the highest seasonal groin pain prevalence and the longest time loss from sport among 500 athletes from major team sports. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 30, 2149–2157 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-022-06924-5

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