Development of a Certified Testing Procedure for Hip and Groin Injuries in Athletes

Development Of A Certified Testing Procedure For Hip And Groin Injuries In Athletes

Hip and groin injuries affect approximately 21% of professional athletes annually, causing significant time loss. As roughly 48% of these cases result from non-contact mechanisms, they are potentially preventable through optimized diagnostic screening. Evidence strongly links restricted hip range of motion (ROM) and strength deficits to an increased injury risk. This project aims to (1) develop a rigorously validated diagnostic testing procedure by comparing different joint positions, movement velocities, and muscle contractions to establish a preventive "gold standard" screening battery. dditionally, (2) pilot targeted prevention interventions over a competitive season. Using a crossover design, the research evaluates three protocols: Strength-focused,Flexibility-focused:and control group. (3) Implement of a Centralized Injury Reporting System. Combining comprehensive diagnostic screening with these practical interventions will yield a powerful tool for clinicians and coaches to effectively reduce the incidence and burden of non-contact hip and groin injuries

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Hip Injury
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Strength-focused; Other: Flexibility-focused

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 170
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Anna Pisz, PT, PhD; Phone Number: +420703952913; Email: anna.pisz@ftvs.cuni.cz

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female competitive team sports.
• Registered members of participating team sports.
• Age 14 to 20 years.
• Participation in regular team training and competition during the study period.
• Medically cleared for full participation in training and match play at study entry.
• Willing and able to complete preseason testing and the assigned intervention program.
• Provided written informed consent. For participants younger than 18 years, parent or legal guardian consent will also be obtained.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current hip or groin injury causing time loss or restricting full participation in training or competition at baseline.
• Lower extremity or lumbar spine injury at baseline that limits safe participation in testing or intervention exercises.
• Surgery involving the hip, groin, pelvis, lumbar spine, or lower extremity within the previous 6 months.
• Any neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, or other medical condition that would contraindicate participation in the intervention or testing procedures.
• Inability to complete baseline assessments.
• Planned absence during a substantial part of the preseason intervention period or competitive season.
• Noncompliance with study procedures or refusal to provide consent.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Screening
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Strength-focused; Emphasizing specific joint stabilization and eccentric load tolerance, heavily utilizing the Copenhagen Adductor Exercise.	Other: Strength-focused; Emphasizing specific joint stabilization and eccentric load tolerance, heavily utilizing the Copenhagen Adductor Exercise.
Experimental: Flexibility-focused: Targeting functional hip ROM through stretching and dynamic mobility under load.	Other: Flexibility-focused; Targeting functional hip ROM through stretching and dynamic mobility under load.
No Intervention: Control; Maintaining standard club warm-up and training regimens.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Hip and Groin Injury Incidence During the Competitive Season	The number of new hip and groin injuries occurring during the monitored competitive season among athletes participating in the different preseason intervention programs. Injury incidence will be recorded by team medical staff and expressed as the number of injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures.	Through the competitive season, up to 9 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Hip and Groin Injury Severity	Severity of hip and groin injuries assessed as the number of days lost from training or competition following injury.	Through the competitive season, up to 9 months
Hip and Groin Injury Burden	Overall injury burden calculated as the product of injury incidence and injury severity across the study period.	Through the competitive season, up to 9 months
Change in Hip Range of Motion (ROM)	Passive hip range of motion assessed using standardized clinical ROM testing (Bent Knee Fall-Out test and passive hip flexion/abduction assessments) with a digital inclinometer.	Baseline (Day 1, preseason screening) and 8 weeks (end of preseason intervention)
Functional Lower Limb Performance	Functional performance of the lower extremity assessed through a standardized testing battery evaluating strength, mobility, and sport-specific functional performance.	Baseline (preseason) and post-intervention (end of preseason)
Hip Adduction and Abduction Strength	Hip adduction and abduction peak torque measured using isokinetic dynamometry (Humac Norm or Biodex system) during concentric and eccentric contractions at standardized angular velocities (30°/s, 120°/s).	Baseline (Day 1, preseason screening) and 8 weeks (end of preseason intervention)
Isometric Hip Strength	Isometric hip adduction strength measured using hand-held dynamometry (HHD) squeeze tests and fixed dynamometry systems such as ForceFrame/GroinBar at joint angles of 0°, 25°, and 50° hip abduction.	Baseline (Day 1, preseason screening) and 8 weeks (end of preseason intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Charles University, Czech Republic

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2031
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2031

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 30, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 6, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 13, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 6, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Wounds and Injuries; Hip Injuries
• Other Study ID Numbers: PRIMUS008

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