Prevalence of Asymptomatic Changes in the Groin Region Among Adult Professional Soccer Players and Their Association With Limb Dominance.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of asymptomatic radiologic groin region findings in adult professional soccer players using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and examine the influence of age and limb dominance on their occurrences.

Design: Cross-sectional trial.

Setting: Soccer club medical service, private practice.

Participants: Forty-seven male professional soccer players.

Interventions: Players underwent a groin presigning MRI scan with a magnetic field induction of 1.5 Tesla. Image analysis of their pubic bones was performed according to The Copenhagen Standardized MRI protocol to assess the pubic symphysis and adductor regions of players.

Main outcome measures: The prevalence of various changes in the symphysis, pubic bone, and adjacent areas.

Results: Fifty images of pubic bones and adjacent regions (53.2%) highlighted 1 to 4 changes, while another 44 images (46.8%) demonstrated 5 or more changes. The most frequent changes observed in the pubic bone were joint surface irregularities (100%), symphyseal sclerosis (93.6%), pubic bone swelling (56.3%), parasymphyseal high-intensity line (55.3%), fatty infiltration in bone marrow (38.3%), and adductor tendinopathy (34%). When comparing the prevalence of different changes in the dominant and nondominant limbs, no statistically significant differences were found.

Conclusions: In adult professional soccer players with no prior groin pain complaints in recent history (12 months), asymptomatic changes are extremely common in the pubic joint and adjacent areas, including those that are very likely to be considered the main cause of pain when investigated in soccer players with groin pain. None of these changes were associated with limb dominance.