Hip and Groin Injury Prevention in Elite Athletes and Team Sport – Current Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Hip and groin injury (HAGI) has been reported as a source of significant time loss in elite sport. Field and court-based sports such as basketball, football, hockey, soccer, among others, require explosive multiplanar movement in single stance and high-speed change of direction. Often situations arise where sub-optimal pre-season training has occurred or congested in-season competition minimizes physiologic recovery periods between bouts of physical activity, both of which could magnify concomitant existing risk factors and increase injury risk. Identification and management of HAGI can be challenging as numerous structures within the region can be drivers of pain and injury, especially when considering the likelihood of concurrent pathology and injury reoccurrence. Focused prevention strategies have been suggested, but their practical clinical implementation has not been heavily investigated across the sporting spectrum. The purpose of this commentary is to review the historical and current state of HAGI, while focusing on applying evidence and clinical experience towards the development of future risk reduction strategies. Level of evidence: 5

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

“…In the current study, soccer players showed the highest prevalence of groin pain (32.5%) among the team sports examined. Soccer involves a regular combination of kicking and change of direction that may explain this higher incidence of groin injuries [35, 40]. Orchard et al [29] reported that the sport with the highest rates of groin pain was non‐professional men’s soccer.…”

“…According to the Doha agreement meeting on terminology and definitions in groin pain in athletes, the classification system includes defined clinical entities as follow: adductor‐, iliopsoas‐, inguinal‐, pubic‐, and hip‐related groin pain [11, 52]. The increased demands and training loads on athletes combined with individual risk factors may contribute to groin injuries [24, 30, 40]. Groin pain can affect both player and team performance and sometimes can be a career‐ending injury [15, 40].…”

“…The increased demands and training loads on athletes combined with individual risk factors may contribute to groin injuries [24, 30, 40]. Groin pain can affect both player and team performance and sometimes can be a career‐ending injury [15, 40]. Some sports such as soccer have been extensively studied with a seasonal incidence of groin pain reaching 50% among soccer players [8, 46] and approximately 30% of injuries recur [15].…”

Injury Patterns and Impact on Performance in the NBA League Using Sports Analytics

“…To mitigate the risk of musculoskeletal injuries and improve overall performance, it is important to understand the relationship between basketball performance and advanced analytics [35]. Advanced analytics have become an increasingly important tool in the field of sports performance and injury prevention [36].…”

Leveraging Sports Analytics and Association Rule Mining to Uncover Recovery and Economic Impacts in NBA Basketball

“…Financial aspects are equally critical; unplanned absences due to injuries can lead to significant financial losses for NBA franchises. This study explores how Data Science and Sports Analytics can mitigate these risks by providing deeper insights into player health and strategic game management [7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”