Postural balance impairment in Tunisian second division soccer players with groin pain: A case-control study

Fatma Chaari; Haithem Rebai; Sébastien Boyas; Abderrahmane Rahmani; Thouraya Fendri; Mohammed A Harrabi; Sonia Sahli

doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2021.07.003

Postural balance impairment in Tunisian second division soccer players with groin pain: A case-control study

Phys Ther Sport. 2021 Sep:51:85-91. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2021.07.003. Epub 2021 Jul 15.

Authors

Fatma Chaari¹, Haithem Rebai², Sébastien Boyas³, Abderrahmane Rahmani⁴, Thouraya Fendri⁵, Mohammed A Harrabi⁶, Sonia Sahli⁷

Affiliations

¹ Research Laboratory Education, Motricité, Sport et Santé, EM2S, LR19JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia. Electronic address: chaarifatma94@gmail.com.
² Research Laboratory Education, Motricité, Sport et Santé, EM2S, LR19JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia. Electronic address: haithem.rebai@isseps.usf.tn.
³ Le Mans University, MIP, EA, 4334, Laboratory "Movement, Interactions, Performance", Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Department of Sport Sciences, Le Mans, France. Electronic address: Sebastien.Boyas@univ-lemans.fr.
⁴ Le Mans University, MIP, EA, 4334, Laboratory "Movement, Interactions, Performance", Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Department of Sport Sciences, Le Mans, France. Electronic address: Abdel.Rahmani@univ-lemans.fr.
⁵ Research Laboratory Education, Motricité, Sport et Santé, EM2S, LR19JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia. Electronic address: thouraya.fendri.1@gmail.com.
⁶ Research Laboratory Education, Motricité, Sport et Santé, EM2S, LR19JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia. Electronic address: harrabi.medachraf@gmail.com.
⁷ Research Laboratory Education, Motricité, Sport et Santé, EM2S, LR19JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia. Electronic address: sonia.sahli@isseps.usf.tn.

PMID: 34303123
DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2021.07.003

Abstract

Objective: To compare postural balance outcomes between soccer players with and without groin pain (GP).

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Laboratory.

Participants: Fifty-four soccer players, 27 with GP (GP group: GPG) and 27 healthy ones (control group: CG).

Main outcome measures: Static and dynamic postural balance were assessed with a force platform and Y-balance test (Y-BT), respectively. Hip abduction, internal rotation (IR), external rotation (ER) and total rotation (TR) of both limbs were evaluated.

Results: The GPG exhibited significant higher centre of pressure values in the bipedal posture only on the foam surface in eyes opened and closed compared to controls. Besides, they had lower anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral reach distances and composite Y-BT score on the injured limb (IL) compared to non-injured limb (NIL) and dominant-limb (DL) of the CG. Moreover, they showed lower abduction, IR, ER, and TR on the IL compared to NIL and DL.

Conclusions: Dynamic unipedal postural balance disorder could be one of the limiting factors of performance in soccer players with non-time loss GP. Hence, postural balance data in these players could enable sport coaches and physical therapists to better understand the mechanisms contributing for performance decrease.

Keywords: Groin pain; Postural stability; Range of motion; Soccer.

MeSH terms

Case-Control Studies
Groin
Humans
Pelvic Pain
Postural Balance
Soccer*