{"id":7268,"date":"2017-06-07T00:55:17","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T23:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bjsm\/?p=7268"},"modified":"2017-06-07T00:56:58","modified_gmt":"2017-06-06T23:56:58","slug":"highlights-2017-future-football-medicine-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bjsm\/2017\/06\/07\/highlights-2017-future-football-medicine-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlights from the 2017 future of football medicine conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Dr Chris Garnett<\/strong><\/p>\n

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On 13-15th<\/sup> May 2017, the largest annual football medicine event in the world took place at the iconic Camp Nou in Barcelona.\u00a0 \u2018The Future of Football Medicine\u2019 Conference, organised by the Isokinetic Medical Group in association with FIFA, brought together 2,500 delegates and 197 of the world\u2019s most renowned speakers from 90 different countries. Over the 3 days, researchers, clinicians and sports scientists delivered talks and workshops on the latest sports medicine research, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and optimisation of player and team performance.<\/p>\n

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A top journalist meets an International Football Manager: Roy Hodgson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The footballer\u2019s groin pain<\/strong> was a topic covered particularly well with expert guidance provided by Dr Per Holmich, Dr Ulrike Muschaweck and Andreas Serner. Groin pain is a common injury in football and can be challenging for clinicians to manage. In 2015 the \u2018Doha agreement meeting on terminology and definitions in groin pain in athletes\u2019 defined four clinical entities – adductor-related, iliopsoas-related, inguinal-related and pubic-related groin pain.1<\/sup> Acute adductor injuries account for approximately two thirds of acute groin injuries in football and primarily involve the adductor longus muscle.2<\/sup> The hip flexors, in particular the rectus femoris and iliopsoas, are the second most frequent. A similar pattern is seen in chronic groin injuries with adductor-related being the most common, followed by iliopsoas-related and inguinal-related injuries. Typically in sport, groin injuries occur during a change of direction, however, in football, kicking is the most commonly reported injury mechanism.2<\/sup> For both adductor-related and iliopsoas-related groin injuries a conservative approach with an exercise treatment programme is usually effective.<\/p>\n

Inguinal-related groin pain, previously termed sportsman\u2019s groin or hernia, is a weakness of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal usually caused by overuse rather than a specific traumatic event. This leads to a localised protrusion of the posterior wall which compresses the genital branch of the genito-femoral nerve and can also displace the rectus abdominis muscle causing increase tension at the pubic bone.\u00a0 Clinically, athletes complain of pain that is exacerbated with physical activity which can radiate to the inner upper thigh or scrotum. The pain is reported as sharp or sometimes burning in character which is a typical sign for nerve compression and disappears with rest. Dr Muschaweck recommends an initial conservative approach for managing inguinal-related groin pain focussing on rest, physiotherapy (massage, muscle strengthening and core stability training) and medication. This treatment approach should not exceed 8 weeks due to potential nerve damage. If conservative treatment fails, surgical reinforcement of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal should be performed. This can be achieved by a minimal repair technique, which is an open mesh-free technique that also allows exploration of the pain-causing nerve and replacement of the rectus abdominis muscle. Mesh implantation is not recommended due to the risk of an extensive foreign body reaction with local scar formation. The Minimal Repair technique has been shown to be an effective and safe way to treat inguinal-related groin pain and according to Dr Muschaweck can return athletes to full activity in 14 days.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

Further learning points from the conference<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Hamstring injuries – Are exercises the best medicine? Askling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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