Treating an Adductor Longus Tendon Injury

If you ask a friend for advice about an adductor longus tendon injury, you’ll probably be told to “put some ice on it.” Ask a specialist, but that ice will not be enough. An injury to the adductor longus tendon is similar to a sports hernia, as it is also not very well known and requires expert care.

A sports hernia involves sheer stress across the pelvis with sports that involve acceleration and cutting. During these activities the adductors contract to move the thigh, but the abdominal muscles contract at the same time to support the pelvis. This results in a tug of war between the adductors and the abdominal muscles with the pelvic bone in the middle.  Usually one of the abdominal muscles tear first, but occasionally one of the adductors is injured.  Because of its position, the adductor longus is usually the first of the adductors to tear.  The adductor longus has a poor blood supply, and has only a very narrowly attachment to the pubic bone. The combination of these two factors means that once it tears, it’s hard to heal.

Tearing the adductor longus tendon results in a few telltale symptoms. The first is pain with adduction of the hips (i.e. trying to squeeze your knees together).  The pain is located high on the inside of the thigh. The pain will better with rest. Sometimes, this pain will resolve with a steroid injection and physical therapy. However if conservative measure fail, surgery has excellent results. The repair is performed by releasing the tendon off the bone and then carefully reattaching it.  Muscle strength is not loss and many patients’ report an increase in their range of motion. This surgery can take even take place at the same time as repair of the oblique muscles.

Injuries to the adductor longus tendon can seem complex, but with expert advice, they’re straightforward to treat. If you’re experiencing symptoms of an injury or you think you might have one, it’s important to seek out a specialist. Adductor tendon injuries seldom heal on their own.

Substantial research has been conducted on the best reconstruction techniques. If you’d like to read further, more information can be viewed here. Advances in treatment have made it easier than ever to repair adductor longus tendon injuries and get athletes back to their sports and back to full strength faster than ever.