Worse self-reported outcomes but no limitations in performance-based measures in patients with long-standing hip and groin pain compared with healthy controls

Return to sport after conservative versus surgical treatment for pubalgia in athletes: a systematic review

Background

To assess the time required to return to sport (RTS) after conservative versus surgical treatment in athletes for pubalgia.

Methods

The PRISMA guidelines were followed. Pubmed, SportDiscus and Web of Science were last accessed on September 2022. All the studies investigating the time to RTS after conservative versus surgical treatment in athletes for pubalgia.

Results

In total, 33 studies were selected for full text assessment, and 10 studies were included in the qualitative analysis. Seven studies reported data on conservative management, two on surgical management and one compared both. A total of 468 subjects were included for analysis. 58.7% (275 of 468) were soccer players, 5.9% (28 of 468) runners, and 3.8% (18 of 468) hockey players. Two studies did not specify the type of sport. The quality of the studies detailing the results of conservative management was higher than surgical procedures.

Conclusion

This review highlights that individuals undergoing surgery for pubalgia may return to sport earlier than those receiving conservative treatment. However, conservative management should be considered before surgical treatment is indicated.

Impact of prior anterior cruciate ligament, hamstring or groin injury on lower limb strength and jump kinetics in elite female footballers

OBJECTIVE

To compare lower limb strength and countermovement jump (CMJ) kinetics between elite female footballers with and without a history of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), hamstring strain, or hip/groin injury.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

Field-based.

PARTICIPANTS

369 elite female Australian football, soccer and rugby league players aged 15-35.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Isometric hip adductor and abductor strength, eccentric knee flexor strength, and CMJ vertical ground reaction forces, including between-leg asymmetry. Players reported their lifetime history of ACLR, and whether they had sustained a hamstring strain, or hip/groin injury in the previous 12-months.

RESULTS

Players with a unilateral history of ACLR (n = 24) had significant between-leg asymmetry in eccentric knee flexor strength (mean = -6.3%, 95%CI = -8.7 to -3.9%, P < .001), isometric hip abductor strength (mean = -2.5%, 95%CI = -4.3 to -0.7%, P = .008), and CMJ peak landing force (mean = -5.5%, 95%CI = -10.9 to -0.1%, P = .046). Together, between-leg asymmetry in eccentric knee flexor strength, isometric hip abductor strength, and CMJ peak landing force distinguished between players with and without prior ACLR with 93% accuracy.

CONCLUSION

Elite female footballers with a history of ACLR, but not hamstring or hip/groin injury, exhibit persistent between-leg asymmetries in lower limb strength and jump kinetics following a return to sport.

Combining results from hip impingement and range of motion tests can increase diagnostic accuracy in patients with FAI syndrome

PURPOSE

Clinical examination is an important part in the diagnosis of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome. However, knowledge on reliability and validity of clinical diagnostic tests is scarce. The aims were to evaluate the inter-rater agreement and diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests to detect patients with FAI syndrome.

METHODS

Eighty-one patients (49% women) were recruited. Two experienced raters performed impingement and range of motion (ROM) tests. Three criteria had to be fulfilled for the diagnosis of FAI syndrome: (1) symptoms; (2) CAM and/or Pincer morphology; and (3) being responder to intra-articular block injection. For inter-rater agreement, the Cohen's kappa statistics were used (0.41-0.60 = moderate, 0.61-0.80 = substantial agreement). For diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated.

RESULTS

Anterior impingement test (AIMT), FADIR test and FABER test showed kappa values above 0.6. All passive hip ROM, except extension, had kappa values above 0.4. AIMT and FADIR showed the highest sensitivity, i.e., 80%, with a specificity of 26% and 25%, respectively. Passive hip ROM in internal rotation with neutral hip position had a sensitivity of 29% and a specificity of 94%.

CONCLUSION

The AIMT, FADIR and FABER tests were reliable between two experienced raters, while results from different raters for hip ROM should be interpreted with caution. The AIMT and FADIR test can only be used to rule out patients with FAI syndrome, while evaluation of ROM in internal rotation with neutral position may be more suitable to rule in patients with FAI syndrome.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.

Hip-related groin pain, patient characteristics and patient-reported outcomes in patients referred to tertiary care due to longstanding hip and groin pain: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Due to advances in hip arthroscopy, the number of surgical procedures has increased dramatically. The diagnostic challenge in patients with longstanding hip and groin pain, as well as the increasing number of hip arthroscopies, may lead to a higher number of patients referred to tertiary care for consideration for surgery. Therefore, the aims were: 1) to describe the prevalence of hip-related groin pain in patients referred to tertiary care due to longstanding hip and groin pain; and 2) to compare patient characteristics and patient-reported outcomes for patients categorized as having hip-related groin pain and those with non-hip-related groin pain.

METHODS

Eighty-one patients referred to the Department of Orthopedics at Skåne University Hospital for longstanding hip and groin pain were consecutively included and categorized into hip-related groin pain or non-hip-related groin pain using diagnostic criteria based on current best evidence (clinical examination, radiological examination and intra-articular block injection). Patient characteristics (gender (%), age (years), BMI (kg/m²)), results from the Hip Sports Activity Scale (HSAS), the SF-36, the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS), and pain distribution (pain manikin) were collected. Parametric and non-parametric statistics were used as appropriate for between-group analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-three (47%) patients, (30% women, 70% men, p < 0.01), were categorized as having hip-related groin pain. The hip-related groin pain group had a higher activity level during adolescence (p = 0.013), and a higher pre-injury activity level (p = 0.034), compared to the non-hip-related groin pain group. No differences (mean difference (95% CI)) between hip-related groin pain and non-hip-related groin pain were observed for age (0 (- 4; 4)), BMI (- 1.75 (- 3.61; 0.12)), any HAGOS subscales (p ≥ 0.318), any SF-36 subscales (p ≥ 0.142) or pain distribution (p ≥ 0.201).

CONCLUSIONS

Only half of the patients referred to tertiary care for long-standing hip and groin pain, who were predominantly men with a high activity level, had hip-related groin pain. Self-reported pain localization and distribution did not differ between patients with hip-related groin pain and those with non-hip-related groin pain, and both patient groups had poor perceived general health, and hip-related symptoms and function.

Patient-Reported Outcomes Within the First Year After Hip Arthroscopy and Rehabilitation for Femoroacetabular Impingement and/or Labral Injury: The Difference Between Getting Better and Getting Back to Normal

BACKGROUND

The Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) was recently found valid, reliable, and responsive for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. However, it is currently unknown to what degree patients undergoing hip arthroscopy improve and/or normalize their HAGOS result within the first year after surgery.

PURPOSE

First, to use HAGOS to evaluate clinical outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and/or labral injury and compare the HAGOS results with the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS). Second, to explore how many patients would (a) improve to a degree of minimal clinical importance (MIC) and (b) obtain scores within the reference intervals of healthy controls.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

METHODS

From September 2011 to March 2014, 97 consecutive patients [56 females (mean age, 38 years; range, 17-60 years) and 41 males (mean age, 37 years; range, 19-59 years)] underwent first-time hip arthroscopy for FAI and/or labral injury. Standardized postoperative rehabilitation instructions were provided. HAGOS (0-100 points) and mHHS (0-100 points) values were obtained preoperatively and again postoperatively at 3, 6, and 12 months. Furthermore, 158 healthy controls, matched on age and sex, were included to obtain HAGOS and mHHS reference values for comparison. Minimal important change was determined by using the 0.5 SD of the baseline values for HAGOS and mHHS.

RESULTS

Improvements for all HAGOS subscales and mHHS results were seen at 3 months ( P < .001). Further improvements were seen only for HAGOS Sport and Recreation (Sport/Rec) and Participation in Physical Activities (PA) subscales between 3 and 12 months ( P < .05) but not for HAGOS Pain, Symptoms, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), or Hip-Related Quality of Life (QOL) subscales or the mHHS. Furthermore, on HAGOS Sport/Rec, PA, and QOL subscales, patients reached scores of only 54 to 70 points 1 year after surgery. At the individual level, up to 70% of the patients experienced minimal important improvements during the first year after surgery, but only up to 38% and 36% of patients reached a score within the reference interval of HAGOS and mHHS, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Statistically and clinically relevant improvements in HAGOS and mHHS results after hip arthroscopy and rehabilitation can be seen at 3 months and up to 1 year. However, specific HAGOS subscales suggest that a patient's ability to function and participate in sport and physical activity is still markedly reduced 1 year after surgery. Furthermore, the majority of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy cannot expect to reach the level of the healthy population on self-reported pain and function within the first year after surgery.

Clinical Examination, Diagnostic Imaging, and Testing of Athletes With Groin Pain: An Evidence-Based Approach to Effective Management

Synopsis Groin pain is common in athletes who participate in multidirectional sports and has traditionally been considered a difficult problem to understand, diagnose, and manage. This may be due to sparse historical focus on this complex region in sports medicine. Until recently, there has been little agreement regarding terminology, definitions, and classification of groin pain in athletes. This has made clear communication between clinicians difficult, and the results of research difficult to interpret and implement into practice. However, during the past decade, the field has evolved rapidly, and an evidence-based understanding is now emerging. This clinical commentary discusses the clinical examination (subjective history, screening, physical examination); imaging; testing of impairments, function, and performance; and management of athletes with groin pain in an evidence-based framework. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(4):239-249. Epub 6 Mar 2018. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7850.