Study: Arthritis of Hip Hits Pro Soccer Players Hard

Arthritis of the hip hits professional soccer players earlier and harder than those who do not play the sport, according to a study reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The study found that professional soccer players are 10 times more likely to suffer hip arthritis later in life and that many were suffering problems in their 30s and 40s - far earlier than non-soccer players.

Researchers at Royal Bolton Hospital in Lancashire, United Kingdom, said simple wear and tear and not hip injuries during their careers led soccer players to have a higher and earlier incidence of hip arthritis.

Nine of the 68 ex-professional players who responded to questionnaires had OA of the hip and six had undergone a total of eight total hip replacements. In a control group of 136 non-soccer players, only two had OA of the hip.

Gordon Shepard, an orthopedic surgeon who co-authored the study, told BBC News Online that some of the hip problems that soccer players suffer later in life may begin as groin strains. He suggested that teams allow players to recuperate longer after a groin injury rather than rushing them back into action.

Other sources: BBC, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2003 37: 80-81)