The pubalgia refers to pain localized to the pubis (pubic = pubis and pain = pain). But it corresponds to one of the painful situations of this zone for which the reasons are various, and appear mainly in the athlete. There is therefore not a pubalgia, but a constellation of various pubalgic lesions which can, moreover, be combined, and this in subjects practicing a sport willingly in an intense way.

This is largely due to the fact that the pelvis, of which the pubis is a part, is a complex anatomical region in which different elements interact: joints, bones, tendons, muscles, nerves, etc.

The pubalgia is therefore a disease difficult to diagnose and treat correctly. It thus requires the intervention of a doctor or a specialist surgeon who must be able both to rule out other diagnoses and to highlight the origin of the pain, so as to ensure the most suitable treatment possible.

Overall, the frequency of pubalgia is estimated between 5 and 18% in the athletic population, but can be much higher in some sports.

Among the sports that promote the onset of pubalgia, the best known is undoubtedly football, but other activities such as hockey, tennis, are also involved: these are all sports including rapid changes of orientation and / or forced support on a single foot (jump, steeplechase, hurdles, etc.).

During the 1980s, there was an “outbreak” of pubalgia, especially among young footballers. Today, the pathology being better known and better prevented and treated, it has fortunately become rarer.