ABDOMINAL/ADDUCTOR STRENGTH IMBALANCE IN SOCCER PLAYERS WITH OSTEITIS PUBIS

Background and Objective

The muscle imbalance between abdominal and hip adductor muscles as an etiology for osteitis pubis is not well understood. The concept of a relationship between eccentric/concentric ratios at the pelvis and osteitis pubis in athletes is limited. This study aimed to compare the eccentric/concentric ratios for abdominal/adductor, abdominal/back, and hip adductor muscles as well as eccentric abdominal/eccentric adductor muscles in soccer players suffering from osteitis pubis with those in healthy athletes.

Material and Methods

Twenty male soccer athletes with osteitis pubis were recruited to participate and 20 healthy male soccer athletes were recruited to participate. Peak torque/body weight (PT/BW) for the hip adductor, abdominal, and back muscles during isokinetic concentric and eccentric contraction modes at a speed of 180°/s was recorded for healthy players and soccer athletes with osteitis pubis. Eccentric/concentric ratios for the abdominal/adductor, abdominal/back, and hip adductor muscles and the eccentric abdominal/eccentric adductor muscles were measured for both groups.

Results

There was a significant decrease in the eccentric abdominal/concentric hip adductor muscles ratio (p = 0.000) and in the eccentric/concentric hip adductor muscles ratio (p = 0.016) between the osteitis pubis group and the healthy control group.

Conclusion

Soccer players with osteitis pubis present with strength imbalance. The osteitis pubis group displayed ec-centric weakness of the abdominal and adductor muscles, resulting in imbalances in the normal eccentric abdominal/concentric adductor and eccentric/concentric adductor ratios. Therefore, exercises that increase the eccentric strength of abdominal and hip adductor muscles may be beneficial to include in rehabilitation programs of patients with osteitis pubis.

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