Screening of Adductor Related Symptoms in Adolescent Taekwondo Athletes

Screening of Adductor-Related Symptoms and Comparison of Hip Muscle Strength, Range of Motion, and Functional Level Between Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Adolescent Taekwondo Athletes

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the frequency and characteristics of adductor-related groin symptoms in adolescent Taekwondo athletes aged 12-17 years. The main questions it aims to answer are:

How common are adductor-related groin symptoms in adolescent Taekwondo athletes?

Do athletes with these symptoms show differences in hip strength, joint range of motion, or functional level compared to athletes without symptoms?

Participants will complete a brief screening about their groin pain and training habits, followed by:

Clinical tests of the hip and groin region (resisted adduction, palpation, FABER, and FADIR tests)

Strength testing of hip abductor and adductor muscles using a hand-held dynamometer

Range of motion measurements of the hip using a goniometer

A self-reported questionnaire (Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score - HAGOS) to assess daily activity and sports function

Data from this study will help identify early signs of adductor-related groin problems and guide preventive and rehabilitation strategies for young Taekwondo athletes

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Adductor Strains; Groin Injuries

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 80

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • İzmir
    • Izmir, İzmir, Turkey (Türkiye), 35290
      • Izmir Democracy University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consisted of adolescent Taekwondo athletes aged 12 to 17 years who are actively training at the Göztepe Sports Club, İzmir, Türkiye. All participants held a black belt (professional level) and have at least three years of competitive Taekwondo experience with regular training sessions at least five times per week.

Two groups formed:

Symptomatic Group: Athletes who report groin pain or discomfort during training and show positive results on clinical tests for adductor-related groin symptoms (resisted adduction and palpation tests).

Asymptomatic Control Group: Age-, sex-, and activity-matched athletes without groin pain or any lower extremity symptoms, who test negative on all clinical examinations.

All participants are screened by a physiotherapist for eligibility prior to data collection.

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Participants must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for inclusion:

• Aged between 12 and 17 years.
• Registered as an active Taekwondo athlete at a Sports Club.
• Holds a black belt level (professional) in Taekwondo.
• Has at least 3 years of professional Taekwondo training experience.
• Participates in training sessions at least 5 days per week.
• Able to participate in regular training and competition without restriction.
• Voluntarily agrees to participate and provides informed consent (and parental consent for minors).

Exclusion Criteria: Participants are excluded if they meet any of the following criteria:

• Presence of any orthopedic, neurological, or systemic condition that may affect lower limb function or limit participation in training.
• History of lower extremity surgery (hip, knee, ankle, or foot).
• Current or recent (within the last 6 months) acute lower extremity injury other than groin-related symptoms.
• Refusal or inability to complete the required clinical tests or questionnaires.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Symptomatic Group (Adductor-Related Groin Pain Group); This group will include adolescent Taekwondo athletes aged 12-17 years who report groin pain or discomfort during training and test positive for adductor-related symptoms based on the Doha classification framework. Diagnosis of adductor-related groin pain will be confirmed through: Resisted adduction test (pain provocation) Palpation of adductor muscles and tendons Participants in this group will undergo hip strength, range of motion, and functional assessments.
Asymptomatic Control Group (Healthy Control Group); This group will include age-, sex-, and activity-matched adolescent Taekwondo athletes who do not report groin pain or any lower extremity injury and test negative on the clinical provocation tests (resisted adduction, palpation, FABER, FADIR). They will undergo the same measurements as the symptomatic group for comparison.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Prevalence of Adductor-Related Groin Symptoms	The presence of adductor-related groin symptoms will be assessed using standardized clinical tests (resisted adduction test and adductor palpation test) based on the Doha classification framework. Unit of Measure: Percentage of athletes with positive test results (%) Purpose: To determine how common adductor-related groin symptoms are among adolescent Taekwondo athletes. Type: Categorical (Yes/No)	at baseline
Pain Intensity	Pain intensity during resisted adduction will be evaluated using a Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS; 0-10). Unit of Measure: Points (0-10 scale). Higher points indicates severe pain. Purpose: To quantify the severity of pain in athletes with adductor-related symptoms.	at baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Isometric Hip Adductor Strength	Measured bilaterally using a hand-held dynamometer (K-Force, K-Invent) in supine position. Participants will perform maximal isometric contraction for 3 seconds with the dynamometer placed 8 cm proximal to the medial malleolus. Unit of Measure: Newton (N) Purpose: To assess isometric strength of hip adductor muscles and compare between groups. Type: Continuous	at baseline
Isometric Hip Abductor Strength	Measured using a hand-held dynamometer (K-Force, K-Invent) in supine position; dynamometer placed 8 cm proximal to the lateral malleolus. Unit of Measure: Newton (N) Purpose: To evaluate isometric abductor strength and assess potential strength imbalance with adductors.	at baseline
Eccentric Hip Adductor Strength	Measured bilaterally using a hand-held dynamometer in side-lying position (tested leg below). The "break test" method will be applied, and the peak eccentric force recorded. Unit of Measure: Newton (N) Purpose: To assess eccentric adductor strength, which is a key predictor of groin injury risk.	at baseline
Eccentric Hip Abductor Strength	Measured bilaterally using a hand-held dynamometer in side-lying position (tested leg on top). The examiner applies a downward force to induce controlled eccentric contraction. Unit of Measure: Newton (N) Purpose: To determine eccentric hip abductor strength and evaluate abductor-adductor strength balance.	at baseline
Hip Range of Motion (Abduction and Internal Rotation)	Abduction: Measured in supine position using a goniometer. Internal rotation: Measured in prone position with knee flexed to 90°. Unit of Measure: Degrees (°) Purpose: To evaluate and compare hip mobility between symptomatic and asymptomatic athletes.	at baseline
Functional Level (Self-Reported)	Evaluated using the Turkish validated version of the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS), which includes 6 subscales: symptoms, pain, daily living, sports/recreation, participation, and quality of life. Unit of Measure: Score (0-100; higher scores = better function) Purpose: To assess the self-reported functional impact of hip and groin symptoms.	at baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Izmir Democracy University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): January 25, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 2, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 7, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 13, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 7, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: FTREK25/111

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