Adductor Strain in a US Major League Soccer Team: A Prospective Cohort Study

Adductor strains are prevalent injuries in professional soccer. The purpose of this study is to identify further evidence of characteristics associated with adductor injury. MLS and other worldwide leagues have differing styles of play warranting further investigation of injury mechanisms. A descriptive cohort study was conducted with a single professional team in the MLS. Injury data was collected between the 2016 to 2022 seasons to characterize adductor injury. Player position type, age, previous injury, and mechanism(s) of injury (MOI) were assessed to understand the injured population. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were utilized to assess the odds of future injury among the injured and non-injured populations. Adductor strains (n = 30) made up 15.5% of all soft-tissue, lower extremity injuries (n = 194) in a single MLS cohort. These injuries were the second most common defined soft-tissue, non-contact injury after hamstring strains (26.4%) and before quadricep strains (11.9%). Among the position types, 28% of defenders, 25% of goalkeepers, 21.4% of forwards, and 20.5% of midfielders experienced at least one adductor strain. The MOI most responsible for these injuries were overuse (30%), change of direction (26.7%), running (13.3%), and kicking (10%). Athletes with previous adductor injury had 167.2 times the odds of adductor injury in a future half-season compared to non-injured athletes. The findings from this study provide further descriptive evidence of player position types and mechanisms related to adductor strain. Insights into the nature of injury within an MLS team and support of previous evidence shows the prevalence of adductor injuries in elite soccer players.