Clinical Review

Hip and Core Muscle Injuries in Soccer

Publish date: October 11, 2018

Benjamin Sherman, DO

Jorge Chahla, MD, PhD

William Hutchinson, MD

Michael Gerhardt, MD

TAKE-HOME POINTS

Groin injuries in soccer players can cause significant decreases in athletic performance, result in lost playing time, and may ultimately need surgical intervention.
Groin pain can be separated into 3 categories: (1) defined clinical entities for groin pain (adductor-related, iliopsoas-related, inguinal-related [sports hernias/athletic pubalgia], and pubic-related groin pain), (2) hip-related groin pain (hip morphologic abnormalities, labral tears, and chondral injuries), and (3) other causes of groin pain.
Acute groin pain in soccer players is most commonly caused by muscle strain involving the adductor longus, the iliopsoas or the rectus femoris.
Inguinal-related groin pain is a common cause of chronic groin pain and typically is the most challenging to treat with a complex pathophysiology and a high association with femoroacetabular impingement.
Hip-related groin pain (femoroacetabular impingement, labral tears, and chondral injuries) usually respond well to surgical intervention and has high rates of return to sport.

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