Adductor Strain Workup

Updated: Jul 08, 2022
  • Author: Marlon P Rimando, MD; Chief Editor: Stephen Kishner, MD, MHA  more...
  • Print
Workup

Approach Considerations

Radiographs should be taken with the patient standing on one leg. Radiographs are used to evaluate for osteitis pubis with extrusion of the fibrocartilaginous disk and degeneration of adjacent bony margins.

Ultrasonograms may indicate abnormal findings, such as sonolucent areas and tendon fiber discontinuity that can be indicative of injury to the following 3 sites: (1) the tendon insertion, (2) the tendon itself, and (3) the musculotendinous junction. Ultrasonography can also be used to evaluate a mass. CT scanning and MRI can be used to evaluate for complete and partial adductor muscle tears. [3]

Technetium-99m (99mTc) scanning has been shown to assist the physician in the diagnosis of osteitis pubis. [4]

Urinalysis should be considered only if a genitourinary cause is suggested.

A study by Falvey et al indicated that the adductor squeeze test has 85.4% sensitivity for athletic groin pain from pubic aponeurosis injury or adductor pathology but is not specific for these. The study involved 382 male patients. [22]