Premier league breakthrough star for Brighton and Hove Albion FC, Aaron Connolly, has recently sustained a groin injury. This ruled him out of Ireland’s match against Denmark, but how long will he miss for his club, just as he’s burst on to the scene…
Are hip and groin injuries a problem in football?
Yes. Hip and groin injuries make up roughly 14% of all football injuries per season (Sherman B. et al 2018; Werner J. et al 2018). Werner J. et al 2018, In a 15-year prospective study of UEFA elite football clubs, hip and groin injuries made up 1812 out of 12,736 of all injuries.
The main stats from the paper:
- 912 were during training. 900 were in matches.
- On average each club suffered 6 hip/groin injuries per season
- Rate of injury: 1.0 per 1000 hours of exposure
- Match rates were 5x higher than training! (Mosler A. et al 2018)
- On average 85 days were lost per season due to groin pain
Where’s the problem areas; hip, groin or pelvis?
This what Sailed V. et al 2018 found in a 10-year prospective study:
- 46.5% were Adductor-related
- 27.3% were hip-related
- 10.8% were hip contusions
Mosler A et al 2018 found:
- 68% were adductor-related
- 12% were iliopsoas
- 9% pubic
From both these set of stats the groin is the biggest problem area. It could be assumed that the cause of this is overload and poor conditioning – however this cannot be fully determined without further research.
What can we do to protect our athletes?
Preseason Screening:
Prevention is crucial! As the above stats highlight which areas were effects on injury, majority of these areas could be assessed in preseason. During off season times the players should be assessed with a battery of tests. These tests should assess joint mobility, muscle mobility, muscular strength and capacity.
Strength & Conditioning:
You can use the results from preseason tests to provide players with conditioning programmes to address highlighted weaknesses. As Mosler A. et al 2018 found that match rates were 5x higher than training, it could indicate that players aren’t conditioned to the load they come across during competitive situations.
Understanding Training Loading:
Load can be one of the main reasons for injury in sports. Varying training loads can make a big difference. Yes, it is important to build a tolerance to the loads that will be experienced during game situations, but you shouldn’t overload an area. i.e. a sudden increase in passing-based training could increase groin strain risk (Dupré T. et al 2018)
Always question are we doing enough to protect our players…