745 FO02 – Groin injuries in women’s professional football – should the prevention focus differ from men? A two-season prospective cohort study in Norway

Background In male football, adductor injuries have been reported to account for two thirds of all groin injuries, and therefore, been the focus for prevention. This classification of groin injuries into clinical entities has not yet been utilized in epidemiological studies in professional women's football. Objective To record all groin injuries in the Norwegian women's premier league and describe their clinical characteristics and mechanisms. Design A two-season prospective cohort study. Setting Norwegian women's premier league. Participants Premier league first team squad players ≥16 years. Intervention During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, players reported groin injuries weekly, using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems. The team physical therapist classified the player-reported injuries using a standardized examination form based on the Doha classification system, including injury onset and mechanism. Main outcome measurements We calculated weekly prevalence, incidence and burden of groin injuries and described their clinical characteristics and mechanisms. Results Groin injuries (N=124) accounted for 18% of all player-reported injuries, representing an injury burden of 11 days lost per 1 000 h. The physical therapists examined 67 of 124 player-reported groin injuries (53%). Of these, 49 (73%) had a gradual onset. Adductor-related injury was the most common entity (55%) followed by iliopsoas- (15%) and rectus femoris-related (12%). Pubic-related injuries (7%) caused most time loss (median: 24 days, IQR: 5–133). Injury mechanism was reported for 39 injuries (sudden-onset injuries: n=18, gradual-onset injuries: n=21), where kicking (28%) and running (26%) were most common. Conclusion Adductor-related injury was the most common entity followed by the hip flexors, but pubic-related injuries caused most time loss. Kicking and running were the most common mechanisms. Focusing on both the hip adductors and flexors could help mitigate the risk of groin injuries in women's football.