Surgical Treatments for an Adductor Tendinopathy

Often adductor tendinitis or tendinopathy will heal with conservative treatments. However depending how long you've had your tendinopathy, you may no longer be responding to the conservative treatments, and surgery may be the only option. Your surgeon will determine whether or not you are a candidate.

An adductor tenotomy is used to release the soft tissue of the adductor muscles when there is a force imbalance with your adductor, hip and abdomen muscles. It involves cutting and releasing or loosening the tendon that attaches to your adductor muscle (often the adductor longus, brevis or gracilis) to relieve pressure at the tendon origin (pubic bone) and/or release any entrapped nerve endings. This permits your legs to fall further apart, and gives you better leg movement so the femur (thigh bone) can be properly positioned in the hip socket. After surgery a compression bandage is generally applied for 24 hours.

Surgery enforces a mandatory rest period, which is one of the main treatment recommendations for adductor tendinopathy. Often you can walk after a few days and return to some activities in 5 weeks, and your normal routine in about 10 - 12 weeks. However, your surgeon will provide a customized treatment plan to help you regain your use as soon as possible. Keep in mind the longer you have your symptoms prior to surgery, the longer it will take to recuperate. If you return to your activities too soon, you could cause permanent damage. You want to ensure the strength, flexibility and stability of your adductor muscles, before taking on too much.