Comparing an Adductor Fatigue Strength Test with Handheld Dynamometry

Evaluation of Hip Muscle Strength: Utility of an Adductor Fatigue Test to Substitute Handheld Dynamometry

The strength of the adductor muscles in a population of federated athletes will be measured using two tests: First, the maximum strength test, utilizing handheld dynamometry. Subsequently, endurance strength will be measured with the Adductor Fatigue Test (Brazilian Adductor Performance Test), in order to evaluate a possible correlation between the two tests.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Groin Injury; Groin Strain
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: No intervention group.

Detailed Description

The strength of the adductor muscles in a population of federated athletes will be measured using two tests: First, the maximum strength test, utilizing dynamometry, where the subject will perform a maximal isometric contraction against the resistance provided by the investigator. Subsequently, endurance strength will be measured with the Adductor Fatigue Test (Brazilian Adductor Performance Test), the participant must perform an adductor exercise as many repetitions as possible until exhaution. In order to evaluate a possible correlation between the two tests and thus, by performing one of them, obtain the results of the other variable.

Apart from the strength measurements, democraphic caracteristics will be recorded to assess possible correlations between studied variables.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 150

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Asturias
    • Oviedo, Asturias, Spain, 33007
      • Escuela Profesional de Medicina de la Educación Fisica y el Deporte

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Competitive athletes without groin injury in the last 3 months.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Having an active lifestyle
• Competing at any level in a federated sports discipline.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not consenting to participate in the research.
• Being unable to understand or write in Spanish.
• Having sustained any type of injury to the inguinal musculature in the past 3 months.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Healthy athletes; Competitive athletes without any groin injury.	Other: No intervention group.; There is no intervention group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximal adductor strength	Measuring the maximum strength of the adductor musculature, performed manually by a physiotherapist using a dynamometer over a brief working period. To begin the test, the subject should lie in a supine position on a flat surface. Their hip should be positioned at a 0º angle in our case. Ideally, at least three measurements should be taken, including a brief rest (~30 seconds) between each repetition to minimize muscle fatigue. The dynamometer should be placed between both ankles of the patient, with the forearm of the analyzing physiotherapist positioned in the middle as resistance. The patient should exert as much pressure as possible against the dynamometer, which is held by the physiotherapist, and against the physiotherapist's elbow, as if trying to close their legs like scissors, using their adductor muscles and maintaining the contraction for 5 seconds.	September to December (2024)
Adductor fatigue strength test	The individual will begin by assuming a side plank position, supported by the elbow, bent, and the forearm (lower arm) on the ground. The hand of the supporting arm is placed on the waist of the side of the lower limb that is to be evaluated (the highest). The evaluated limb is supported by a 0.5-meter high bench at the ankle region, while the opposite limb does not touch the ground, remaining in a semi-flexed position. The subject must control the descent of the pelvis by performing a hip abduction until the pelvis lightly touches the ground, and then return to the initial position by raising the pelvis again. The score is defined as the maximum number of repetitions completed before reaching muscle failure. During the test, participants are instructed to keep both legs parallel and to ensure that the knee of the non-evaluated leg remains in a semi-flexed position. Maintaining the correct alignment of the trunk throughout the exercise is crucial.	September to December (2024)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Weight	Weight (kg)	September to December (2024)
Hip and groin outcome score (HAGOS)	A questionnaire will be given to every participant to obtain information on groin pain symptoms in the last week. Minimum: 0; Maximum: 100. Higher scores mean better hip and groin health.	September to December (2024)
Age	Age (in years)	September to December (2024)
Sex	Biological sex	September to December (2024)
Leg length	Leg length (in cm from the anterior superior iliac spine to the medial malleoulus)	September to December (2024)
Height	Height (in cm)	September to December (2024)
Previous groin injury.	Previous groin injury (in the last 3 months)	September to December (2024)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Oviedo

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• de Queiroz JHM, Frota JP, Dos Reis FA, de Oliveira RR. Development and Predictive Validation of the Brazilian Adductor Performance Test for Estimating the Chance of Hip Adductor Injuries in Elite Soccer Athletes. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2023 Apr 20;18(6):653-659. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2022-0306. Print 2023 Jun 1.
• Robaina BQ, Medeiros DM, Roberti LS, Franke RA, Baroni BM. The Single Leg Bridge Test does not replace handheld dynamometer hamstring tests in a clinical setting. Phys Ther Sport. 2023 Sep;63:126-131. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2023.08.001. Epub 2023 Aug 6.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 11, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 5, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): February 6, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 3, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 13, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): August 16, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 7, 2025
• Last Verified: February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Injury prevention; Strength assessment
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Fatigue
• Other Study ID Numbers: UO2024/01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No