title: Hip Strength Testing of Soccer Players With Long-Standing Hip and Groin Pain: What are the Clinical Implications of Pain During Testing?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether self-reported pain during hip strength testing correlates to a large degree with hip muscle strength in soccer players with long-standing unilateral hip and groin pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical assessments at Sports Orthopaedic Research Center-Copenhagen (SORC-C), Arthroscopic Centre Amager, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four male soccer players with unilateral long-standing hip and groin pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The soccer players performed 5 reliable hip muscle strength tests (isometric hip flexion, adduction, abduction, isometric hip flexion-modified Thomas test, and eccentric hip adduction).
  
  
  METHODS
  Muscle strength was measured with a hand-held dynamometer, and the players rated the pain during testing on a numerical rating scale (0-10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 4 tests (isometric hip adduction, abduction, flexion, and eccentric adduction), no significant correlations were found between pain during testing and hip muscle strength (Spearman rho = -0.28 to 0.06, P = 0.09-0.39). Isometric hip flexion (modified Thomas test position) showed a moderate negative correlation between pain and hip muscle strength (Spearman rho = -0.44, P = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-reported pain during testing does not seem to correlate with the majority of hip muscle strength tests used in soccer players with long-standing hip and groin pain.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Orthopaedic Research Center-Copenhagen (SORC-C), Arthroscopic Centre Amager, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; †Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; and ‡Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research-Copenhagen (PMR-C), Department of Occupational and Physical Therapy, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and Clinical Research Center, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bolette S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Rafn
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Martin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Branci
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hölmich
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thorborg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006119:Groin / Q000502:physiology*; D006615:Hip / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain; D055815:Young Adult