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What are the Risk Factors for Groin Strain Injury in Sport?

A Systematic Review of the Literature

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Abstract

Groin injury is among the most common cited injuries in the sports of ice hockey, soccer, Australian Rules football, calisthenics and cricket. There are very few prospective studies examining risk factors for groin strain injury in sport. There is support for an association of previous injury and greater abductor to adductor strength ratios as well as sport specificity of training and pre-season sport-specific training, as individual risk factors in groin strain injury in athletes. Core muscle weakness or delayed onset of transversus abdominal muscle recruitment may increase the risk of groin strain injury. Debate exists in the literature regarding the role of adductor strength and length as well as age and/or sport experience as risk factors for groin injury. There is no strong evidence to support a causal association for any of these risk factors and groin injury.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre for their ongoing support to do research. They also thank Diana Jorgensen and Dennis Jorgensen for all their assistance in this research. Lorrie Maffey is funded by Speed Skating Canada. Carolyn Emery is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. The authors acknowledge that they have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the contents of this article.

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  1. Sport Medicine Centre, Roger Jackson Centre for Health and Wellness Research, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, ABT2N 1N4, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    Lorrie Maffey & Carolyn Emery

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  1. Lorrie Maffey
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Correspondence to Lorrie Maffey.

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Maffey, L., Emery, C. What are the Risk Factors for Groin Strain Injury in Sport?. Sports Med 37, 881–894 (2007). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200737100-00004

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