Adductor Muscle Injuries in UEFA Soccer Athletes: A Matched-Cohort Analysis of Injury Rate, Return to Play, and Player Performance From 2000 to 2015

Abstract

Background: The effects of adductor muscle injury on performance in soccer athletes are unknown. Purpose: To (1) determine the rate and time to return to play (RTP) after adductor muscle injury, (2) investigate the rate of reinjury after RTP, and (3) investigate any long-term effects of injury on elite soccer player performance. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Using publicly available records, athletes sustaining adductor muscle injury were identified across the 5 major European soccer leagues (English Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A) between 2000 and 2015. Injured athletes were matched to controls by demographic characteristics and performance metrics from 1 season before the index timepoint. Investigations included the rate of RTP, reinjuries, player characteristics associated with RTP within 2 seasons, player availability, field time, and performance metrics during the 4 seasons after injury. Results: A total of 671 players with adductor muscle injury were included. Based on time to RTP, 86% of injuries were mild to moderate (4-28 days missed), and 4% required surgical intervention. Players with adductor muscle injury were absent for a median of 22 days (range, 1-700 days) and 4 games (range, 1-76 games). A total of 521 (78%) players returned at the same level, with no demographic or clinical characteristics associated with RTP on the multivariable regression. Of those returning to play, 143 (21%) experienced adductor reinjury. After RTP, defenders demonstrated decreased field time compared with controls ( P < .05). As compared with controls, defenders and midfielders scored more points and goals per game during the season of the injury ( P < .01), while attackers recorded more goals and assists per game the season after injury ( P < .05). Conclusion: Only 3 in 4 players (78%) returned to participate in an official match, and the reinjury rate was high (21%). After RTP, defenders demonstrated decreased field time versus controls. On the other hand, defenders and midfielders recorded more points and goals per game, while attackers recorded more goals and assists per game versus controls. Although the multivariable analysis results did not identify player characteristics associated with RTP, there was a position-dependent association on player performance after RTP.

Epidemiology of Non-Contact Muscle Injuries in the Italian Male Elite Under-19 Football (Soccer) Championship

“…The majority of the findings in the present study are aligned with those reported in professional football players: data related to overall injuries as well as to hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles injuries are similar to those previously reported for adult players [ 2 , 10 , 11 , 25 ].…”

The Interval Kicking Program (IKP) as a Reprogramming Technique for the Soccer Player in an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Rehabilitation: A Technical Report

“…In soccer players, abnormal technical movements and structural asymmetries post anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (4, 13) have been proposed as risk factors for adductor muscle injuries (up to 63% in soccer) (18) and groin pain. During rehabilitation process, a gradual and progressive re-introduction of kicking load of basic technical skills is considered a dogma of clinical reasoning (19).…”

“…The strength expressions of the adductors and the range of motion of the hip have received particular scientific interest due to the repetitiveness of soccer gestures. Studies (18,26) have shown injuries to the adductor and quadriceps muscles in the dominant/kicking limb compared to the non-dominant leg. Bi-articular muscles, with a prevalence of type II muscle fibres (rectus femoris approx.…”

“…Increasing the number of steps in an abnormal and unstructured manner during the return to the sport could increase risk factors for new injuries, from overuse, especially injuries to the long adductor (15)(16)(17)(18). One must, therefore, be aware of the risk and refrain from suddenly increasing the amount and intensity of passes.…”

Return‐to‐performance in elite soccer players after Achilles tendon ruptures: a study using a weighted plus/minus metric and matched‐control analysis

“…Because a high caseload of injuries in elite athletes is uncommon in the clinical setting, the use of public sources of information is a common practice in research aimed at assessing the consequences of injuries in this population [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 19 , 20 , 24 , 29 , 31 ]. Transfermarkt.com is a particularly noteworthy source, and while it is primarily aimed at reporting club transfers, it also contains pertinent data for clinical and sports analytics, such as injury reports, match outcomes, and player match participation data [ 30 ].…”