Affiliations: [a] Academic Center for Evidence based Sports Medicine (ACES), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands | [b] Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa | [c] World Players’ Union (FIFPro), Players’ Services, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands | [d] Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands | [e] De Sportartsen Groep, Sint Lucas Andreas Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands | [f] Football Club Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Paul Kuijer, Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Academic Medical Center, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 205665339; Fax: +31 206977161; E-mail: p.p.kuijer@amc.uva.nl.
Abstract: OBJECTIVES:To study the incidence, diagnostics, treatment, anatomical region and return to play of non-acute groin injuries among professional footballers in the Netherlands. DESIGN:Prospective cohort study. METHODS:Medical staff members of all Dutch professional football clubs, recording prospectively injury occurrence of all professional footballers in their clubs, were asked to fill in an injury form about time-loss (⩾ 8 days) non-acute groin injury over the 2012–2013 season. RESULTS:A cohort of 410 players from 12 professional football clubs were included (response rate = 44%). The season incidence of non-acute groin injuries was nearly 7% (29 non-acute groin injuries). In 82% of all cases, the player suffered from non-acute groin injury in the first half of the season. The average time to return to play was 35 days, ranging from 8 to 84 days. The adductors were the most affected anatomical regions (82%), with the most frequent diagnosis being overuse of the adductors (36%), followed by adductor tendinopathy (18%). In addition to medical history and physical examination, ultrasound (50%) and MRI (32%) were the diagnostic methods most frequently mentioned. As well as physical therapy, treatment consisted mostly of manual therapy (96%) and dry needling (61%). CONCLUSIONS: A professional club with a squad of 25 players can expect on average two non-acute groin injuries per season with an average time-loss of 35 days. Players are more at risk in the first half of the season. In Dutch professional football, ultrasound is commonly used to diagnose non-acute groin injury, while manual therapy is the most commonly applied treatment.
Keywords: Professional athletes, injury, adductor, groin, soccer, return to play
