Validity of a Rehab and Reconditioning Program Following an Adductor Longus Injury in Professional Soccer

Abstract

Context: The high rates of adductor injuries and reinjuries in soccer have suggested that the current rehabilitation programs may be insufficient; therefore, there is a need to create prevention and reconditioning programs to prepare athletes for the specific demands of the sport.

Objective: The aim of this study is to validate a rehab and reconditioning program (RRP) for adductor injuries through a panel of experts and determine the effectiveness of this program through its application in professional soccer.

Design: A 20-item RRP was developed, which was validated by a panel of experts anonymously and then applied to 12 injured male professional soccer players.

Setting: Soccer pitch and indoor gym.

Participants: Eight rehabilitation fitness coaches (age = 33.25 [2.49] y) and 8 academic researchers (age = 38.50 [3.74] y) with PhDs in sports science and/or physiotherapy. The RRP was applied to 12 male professional players (age = 23.75 [4.97] y; height = 180.56 [8.41] cm; mass = 76.89 [3.43] kg) of the Spanish First and Second Division (La Liga).

Interventions: The experts validated an indoor and on-field reconditioning program, which was based on strengthening the injured muscle and retraining conditional capacities with the aim of reducing the risk of reinjury.

Main outcome measures: Aiken V for each item of the program and number of days taken by the players to return to full team training.

Results: The experts evaluated all items of the program very highly as seen from Aiken V values between 0.77 and 0.94 (range: 0.61-0.98) for all drills, and the return to training was in 13.08 (±1.42) days.

Conclusion: This RRP following an injury to the adductor longus was validated by injury experts, and initial results suggested that it could permit a faster return to team training.