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. 2024 Apr;34(4):e14611.
doi: 10.1111/sms.14611.

Groin injuries in women's premier league football in Norway: A two-season prospective cohort study describing clinical and imaging characteristics

Solveig Thorarinsdottir  1 , Roar Amundsen  1 , Arne Larmo  2 , Roar Pedersen  3 , Thor Einar Andersen  1   4 , Roald Bahr  1 , Merete Møller  1   5
Affiliations

Groin injuries in women's premier league football in Norway: A two-season prospective cohort study describing clinical and imaging characteristics

Solveig Thorarinsdottir et al. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To describe the prevalence, incidence, and burden of groin injuries in the Norwegian women's premier football league and to describe their clinical and imaging characteristics.

Methods: During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, players in the Norwegian women's premier league reported groin injuries weekly, using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems (OSTRC-H2). We calculated weekly prevalence, incidence, and burden of groin injuries. The team physical therapists classified the player-reported injuries based on the Doha classification system. Injuries with more than 3 days' time loss or reported in 2 consecutive weeks were eligible for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results: On average, 3.9% (95% CI: 3.4-4.4) of players reported a groin injury at any time; of which 78% caused time loss. The incidence rate was 1.6 injuries/1000 h (95% CI: 1.3-2.0) and their burden was 11 days lost/1000 h. The physical therapists examined 67 of 124 player-reported groin injuries (53%). Adductor-related injury was most common (55%) followed by iliopsoas (15%) and rectus femoris-related (12%). Pubic-related injuries caused most time loss (median: 24 days, IQR: 5-133). In this study, 42 injuries were investigated with MRI; 8 (19%) showed no changes, 6 (14%) an acute musculotendinous lesion, and 32 (76%) a nonacute finding (e.g., central symphyseal disc protrusion, tendinopathies).

Conclusion: The incidence rate and burden of groin injuries were high. Adductor-related injuries were most common, but pubic-related injuries caused most time loss. Most MRI examinations demonstrated nonacute findings.

Keywords: adductor injuries; female; football; groin injuries; soccer; sports injuries; women.

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References

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