Comparison of Coordination and Coordination Variability of Lower Limb Joints during Cross Side-Cutting in Athletes with Chronic Groin Pain and Healthy Athletes

Chronic groin pain is a common and painful condition resulting in impaired performance and loss from participation in sports. High prevalence rate, complex anatomy, and long-term rehabilitation are among the challenges of this injury. Despite extensive clinical and medical studies in this field, groin pain in athletes remains unknown in terms of its biomechanical indicators, especially coordination and variability. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim to compare lower limb joints' coordination and coordination variability between athletes with chronic groin pain and healthy athletes in the side-cutting maneuver.

The present research was conducted on 28 young football players (14 people in the chronic groin pain group and 14 people in the control group). Motion analysis cameras were used to collect 3D kinematic data of the lower limb joints. The coordination and coordination variability of hip-knee and knee-ankle joints in 3 planes were calculated using the continuous relative phase (CRP) method. Independent t-test was used to compare the two groups.

Subjects with chronic groin pain have more out–of–phase movement in hip-knee coordination in the frontal plane, more significant variability in hip-knee and knee-ankle coordination in the frontal plane, and thigh-knee coordination in the horizontal plane.

The results of the present study show a decrease in coordination and an increase in the variability of lower limb coordination in subjects with chronic groin pain, which may lead to compensatory strategies, thus changing the distribution of forces, and resulting in pain and secondary injuries.