Conservative Management of an Iliopsoas Muscle Rupture in an Elite Handball Player: A Case Report

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Iliopsoas muscle rupture is a rare but debilitating sports injury with limited published outcome data. CASE PRESENTATION: A 24-year-old elite male handball player with a magnetic resonance imaging-verified right iliopsoas muscle rupture: The athlete was examined with test of maximal muscle strength and patient-reported outcomes at baseline (5 weeks post-trauma), 7 months, and 13 months. Rehabilitation progressed through mobility restoration, isometric and isotonic strengthening, and sport-specific loading. OUTCOME AND FOLLOW-UP: Maximal hip flexion strength improved from 76 Newtons (limb symmetry index 30%) at baseline to 290 Newtons (limb symmetry index 99%) at 7 months, with sustained recovery at 13 months (271 Newtons). DISCUSSION: After participation in structured rehabilitation, the athlete returned to elite sport performance following iliopsoas muscle rupture, with objective strength and patient-reported outcomes supporting the recovery. Rehabilitation was successful in this athlete with return to sport at 7 months and full return to performance at 9 months following iliopsoas muscle rupture.