Imaging of groin pain in athletes: patterns of injury at MRI and gender differences therein

Review written by Dr Stacey Hardin info

Key Points

  1. According to this study, significant gender-based differences in injury category exist in athletes with groin pain.
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Athletic groin pain is common in athletes of all levels. Due to the complexity of the anatomical structures in the area, diagnosis and management of groin pain can be challenging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been a useful tool to accurately diagnose the injury leading to more timely and appropriate interventions.

The objectives of this study were to:

  1. Determine the most common patterns of injury on MRI in athletes with groin pain

  2. Explore whether gender differences exist related to injury diagnosed via MRI findings.

Due to the complexity of the anatomical structures in the area, diagnosis and management of groin pain can be challenging.
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In the presentation of groin pain, there can be multiple, interrelated structures that are impacted.

METHODS

MRI studies from 470 athletes (46 female, 424 male) who were being evaluated for groin pain were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Findings were classified into one or more of the following categories. Pictorial examples of each MRI finding have

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