Groin Pain in Sports

1. Adductor tendinopathy, pain on the inner side of the groin when kicking. 2. PLAC lesion, tear in the adductor-abdominal plate, typical in elite sports. 3. FAI / hip impingement, bone-on-bone conflict during deep hip flexion. 4. Sports hernia (athletic pubalgia), pain when coughing, straining, or during sprint acceleration. 5. Iliopsoas tendinopathy, pain at the front of the groin with hip flexion.

Groin pain often consists of a combination of factors, which requires a specialist diagnosis.

• Targeted clinical examination by an experienced hip specialist; this is usually sufficient for 80% of the diagnosis.
• High-resolution MRI for labrum, cartilage, PLAC, and tendon injuries.
• Ultrasound for dynamic assessment (snapping hip, hernia).
• Potentially CT for exact bone morphology in FAI.

Time to return varies greatly:

• Adductor tendinopathy: 6-12 weeks
• Surgical PLAC repair: 4-6 months
• Hip arthroscopy for FAI: 4-6 months
• Conservative FAI: 8-12 weeks of adapted loading

Structured rehabilitation with progressive sport-specific loading determines success.