Are Hip Physical Examination Findings Predictive of Future Lower-Body Injury Rates in Elite Adolescent Female Soccer Athletes at Minimum 5-Year Follow-Up?

CONTEXT: Although elite adolescent female soccer athletes have unique injury risk factors and management challenges, limited epidemiological data exist for this population.

OBJECTIVE

To describe lower-body injury patterns and to determine whether a screening hip physical examination is predictive of future injuries in elite adolescent female soccer athletes.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

One US premier soccer club.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred seventy-seven female soccer athletes aged 10-18 years (mean [SD] 14.6 [1.8] y) completed a demographic questionnaire and screening hip physical examination that included range of motion and provocative tests.

INTERVENTIONS: At least 5 years after baseline screening, athletes completed an electronic follow-up injury survey. Injury was defined as pain that interfered with sporting activity.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In addition to descriptive analyses of athletes' injury profiles, associations between players' baseline demographics and subsequent injury profiles were evaluated using chi-square tests, and potential predictors of injury based on players' baseline hip examinations were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Ninety-four of 177 athletes (53%) were contacted for follow-up, and 88/94 (93.6%) completed the survey. With mean follow-up of 91.9 (9.3) months (range 66-108 mo), 42/88 (47.7%) reported sustaining a new lower-body injury. The low back was the most common injury region (16/42, 38.1%). Almost half of all injured athletes (20/42, 47.6%) sustained overuse injuries, and 16/42 (38.1%) had an incomplete recovery. Higher body mass index and reaching menarche were associated with sustaining an injury (P = .03 and .04, respectively). Athletes' baseline hip examinations were not predictive of their subsequent rate of lower-body, lumbopelvic, overuse, or incomplete recovery injury (all P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Lower-body injuries were common in elite adolescent female soccer athletes, with over one third of injured athletes reporting permanent negative impact of the injury on their playing ability. Baseline hip physical examinations were not associated with future injury rate.