Diagnostic criteria used in the examination of 207 consecutive athletes with groin pain
| Clinical entity | Diagnostic criteria | |
|---|---|---|
| Adductor-related pain | Palpatory pain at the muscle origin at the pubic bone and pain with adduction against resistance | |
| Iliopsoas-related pain | Palpatory pain of the muscle through the lower lateral part of the abdomen and/or just distal of the inguinal ligament and pain with passive stretching during Thomas’ test | |
| Rectus abdominis-related pain | Palpatory pain of the distal tendon and/or the insertion at the pubic bone, and pain at contraction against resistance | |
| Snapping iliopsoas | A painful snapping in the groin when extending the maximally flexed hip and visible snapping with ultrasonography | |
| Piriformis-related pain | Palpatory pain and pain with passive stretching | |
| Pelvic floor-related pain | Palpatory tenderness of the edge of the muscles posteriorly, and painful contraction of the muscles | |
| Sacrotuberal ligament pain | Palpatory pain of the ligament, both through the gluteal region and through the rectum | |
| Sacroiliac joint dysfunction | Positive Gillet’s test and/or forward-bending test and pain with the Patrick’s test and/or the sacroiliac shear test | |
| Pain of thoracolumbar origin | Pain at the level of thoracic segment 10 to lumbar segment 1 with the skin-rolling test, and the facet joint palpation and the springing test | |
| Hip arthrosis | Radiological signs of arthrosis, subchondral sclerosis, subchondral cysts, narrowed joint space and osteophytes | |
| Stress fracture | Bone scintigraphic signs of a stress fracture and palpatory pain at the corresponding anatomical site | |
| Hernia | The presence of a visible and/or palpable inguinal mass and/or when a massive cough impulse was present | |
| Sports hernia | No hernia present (as described above) as well as tenderness of the external inguinal ring and tenderness in the area of the conjoint tendon and close to its insertion at the pubic tubercle |