Prevalence of hip pain in elite badminton players

Abstract Background A number of studies have investigated injuries in badminton players, but none have focused on investigating hip pathologies in this population. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to (i) report the prevalence of hip pain in elite badminton players currently registered at a national sports institute, (ii) describe their hip pathologies, and (iii) evaluate expectations regarding hip pain before and after becoming elite athletes. Methods All badminton players at a national sports institute on 01/09/2023 were contacted by the medical team to complete a questionnaire comprising training information, prevalence of hip pain, and expectations regarding hip pain. The medical database was reviewed to identify all hip pathologies recorded. Results Of the 20 elite badminton players registered at the national sports institute (10 females and 10 males, aged 23.8 ± 3.9 years), 9 (45%) reported experiencing hip pain while registered at the institute, 4 at their dominant side only and 5 bilaterally. Six players had cam-type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), concomitant with coxofemoral chondropathy and/or muscle tears in 3 athletes (requiring femoroplasty in 3). Furthermore, 3 more players had coxofemoral chondropathy and/or muscle tears. Before playing badminton at a high-level, 12 (60%) thought that becoming elite players could cause joint pain; however, none (0%) thought that it would cause pain specifically at their hip joint. Conclusions Nine of 20 elite badminton players have experienced hip pain while registered at a national sports institute, with the most common hip pathologies being cam-type FAI (n = 6; 30%) and muscle tears (n = 4; 20%). Although before playing badminton at a high-level, none of the athletes thought that becoming an elite badminton player could cause pain specifically at the hip joint, at the time of the questionnaire, 19 athletes (95%) thought this was common. These findings could allow coaches and medical staff to align expectations regarding the likelihood of hip pain and hip pathologies in badminton players training at an elite level.