The effects of rehabilitation on the biomechanics of patients with athletic groin pain.

ABSTRACT

This study sought to investigate the kinematic and kinetic variables that change in patients with athletic groin pain (AGP) after a successful exercise intervention. The kinematic and kinetic measures of subjects with AGP (n = 65) that completed a lateral hurdle hop, pre and post an exercise rehabilitation program were compared to a control group of matched uninjured individuals (n = 50). Analysis of Characterising Phases was used to identify differences in kinematic and kinetic measures between the groups. AGP subjects returned to pain-free participation in sport in a median time of 9.14 weeks (5.14-29.0). In total 18 different biomechanical variables were significantly different between the AGP group and the uninjured group pre-rehabilitation. Of these, seven variables were no longer significantly different between the AGP group post-rehabilitation and the uninjured group. These seven variables may represent the factors most related to return to play in this cohort and are potential targets for rehabilitation.