Anatomical Features in Inguinal-Pubic-Adductor Area That May Contribute to Gender Difference in Susceptibility to Groin Pain Syndrome

Abstract

Groin pain syndrome (GPS) is often a diagnostic challenge for sport physicians. Despite this diagnostic difficulty, the incidence of GPS in athletes is relatively high, afflicting 10–20% of the total sports population. In the literature, a certain number of studies demonstrate an important gender-based difference in the incidence of GPS in both sexes, with a ratio of female:male athletes clearly in favor of the female gender being relatively less prone to GPS. Indeed, some anatomical differences between the two sexes seem to represent a protective factor against the onset of GPS in women, although the current literature still needs to clarify the validity of these findings. It is the aim of this systematic review to examine all the anatomical differences between men and women that may be responsible for the difference in the onset of GPS in the two sexes.