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

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.