title: Injuries of the obturator muscles in professional soccer players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obturator externus and internus muscular tears are uncommon injuries. Only a few case reports exist, mainly in high-level athletes. Our aim is to describe a series of obturator externus and internus muscular tears in professional soccer players.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injury data from four teams from the First Division of the Spanish Soccer League were collected over a total of four seasons. Any soccer player who sustained an injury to either the obturator externus or internus identified on magnetic resonance (MRI) was included. All injured players were treated non-operatively with a goal of returning to play as fast as possible.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen players sustained injuries to the obturator externus and internus during matches or training sessions. The main complaint was anterior hip pain with a physical examination showing pain during internal rotation or external rotation of the flexed hip. The MRI documented 12 muscular tears of the obturator externus, and 4 muscular tears of the obturator internus. All injuries were treated conservatively based on physical therapy, analgesic medications, and underwent a symptoms-based rehabilitation protocol. Mean return to play was 11.5  ±  8.8 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although uncommon, tears of the obturator externus and internus occur in professional soccer players. The MRI scan was essential to the location, classification, and evaluation of the injury size. The clinical relevance of our investigation is based on the relatively benign prognosis of these injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  IV.
authors.affiliation: Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. manuwongon@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wong-On
authors.affiliation: Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|RCD Espanyol de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|CAR Sant Cugat-Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turmo-Garuz
authors.affiliation: Instituto Médico Arriaza y Asociados, Cátedra de Traumatología del Deporte HM Universidad da Coruña, La Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arriaza
authors.affiliation: Medical Service, Real Sociedad de Futbol SAD, Donostia-San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gonzalez de Suso
authors.affiliation: CAR Sant Cugat-Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain.|Medical Service, Football Club Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Til-Perez
authors.affiliation: Medical Service, Football Club Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yanguas-Leite
authors.affiliation: Medical Service, RCD Espanyol of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diaz-Cueli
authors.affiliation: Medical Service, RCD Espanyol of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gasol-Santa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D001265:Athletic Injuries; D025981:Hip Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D010808:Physical Examination; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013848:Thigh / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Lateral hip rotators; Muscle injury.; Obturator muscles; Professional football