Clinical Education

Adductor Tendinopathy

Adductor Tendinopathy

  • The adductor group helps to stabilise the pelvis and connect the pelvis to the femur
  • This is a common injury in activities with high running loads, rapid change of direction and kicking
  • There can often be multiple clinical entities driving the pain

Image showing adductor muscle anatomy

Image showing adductor muscle anatomy

Subjective Examination:

Insidious onset, usually related to increased load
Usually felt in one or both pubic bones and adductors but can be centred on the lower abdominal or inguinal regions.
Pain presents following activity and is accompanied by stiffness
It is important to establish the patients full training history where possible
May describe a history of recurrent adductor strains
Objective Examination:

Localised medially in the groin, may radiate down the adductor muscle
There will be pain on passive stretching
Pain on palpation of the adductor tendon insertion
Pain on resisted adduction (squeeze test)
Weakness is also common
Early signs to look out for:

Tightness/stiffness during or after activity with little relief from stretching
Loss of acceleration when running
Loss of max sprinting speed
Loss of long distance kicking when running
Vague discomfort with deceleration

If you feel that your patient is suffering with an adductor tendonopathy then refer to a physiotherapist and we can work with the patient to get them back to sport through:

Pain free exercise
Identifying and reducing sources of load on the pelvis
Improving lumbopelvic stability
Strengthening local musculature
Progressing to return to play level