Management and therapy for sports hernia

Athletes treated for inguinal-related groin pain by endoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair: long-term benefits of a prospective cohort

PURPOSE

Inguinal-related groin pain (IRGP) in athletes is a multifactorial condition, posing a therapeutic challenge. If conservative treatment fails, totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair is effective in pain relief. Because there are only few long-term follow-up results available, this study was designed to evaluate effectiveness of TEP repair in IRGP-patients years after the initial procedure.

METHODS

Patients enrolled in the original, prospective cohort study (TEP-ID-study) were subjected to two telephone questionnaires. The TEP-ID-study demonstrated favorable outcomes after TEP repair for IRGP-patients after a median follow-up of 19 months. The questionnaires in the current study assessed different aspects, including, but not limited to pain, recurrence, new groin-related symptoms and physical functioning measured by the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS). The primary outcome was pain during exercise on the numeric rating scale (NRS) at very long-term follow-up.

RESULTS

Out of 32 male participants in the TEP-ID-study, 28 patients (88%) were available with a median follow-up of 83 months (range: 69-95). Seventy-five percent of athletes were pain free during exercise (p < 0.001). At 83 months follow-up, a median NRS of 0 was observed during exercise (IQR 0-2), which was significantly lower compared to earlier scores (p <0.01). Ten patients (36%) mentioned subjective recurrence of complaints, however, physical functioning improved on all HAGOS subscales (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the safety and effectivity of TEP repair in a prospective cohort of IRGP-athletes, for whom conservative treatment had failed, with a follow-up period of over 80 months.

Risk Factors for Athletic Pubalgia in Collegiate Football Student-Athletes: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Athletic pubalgia (AP) is an increasingly recognized injury among young athletes. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics associated with AP in college football players.

HYPOTHESIS

Repetitive explosive movements that require aggressive core muscle activation results in AP in collegiate football players.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort design.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 3.

METHODS

Football student-athletes at a single Division I collegiate institution from January 2010 to December 2019 were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was surgery for AP. The odds of AP were determined using logistic regression, with the dependent variable being whether or not the student-athlete received AP surgery. Independent variables included Olympic weightlifting (OWL) exposure, primary playing position (skill position vs nonskill position), and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

A total of 1154 total student-athlete exposures met the inclusion criteria. Of the 576 student-athletes exposed to OWL (OWL occurred throughout entire calendar year), 20 developed AP, whereas 7 student-athletes not exposed to OWL (OWL was not performed at any point during calendar year) developed AP. Student-athletes exposed to OWL had a 2.86 (95% CI, 1.25-7.35; P = 0.02) times higher odds of AP than players not exposed after controlling for primary playing position and BMI. Skill position players had a 9.32 (95% CI, 1.71-63.96; P = 0.01) times higher odds of AP than nonskill position players when controlling for BMI and OWL training.

CONCLUSION

Modifiable factors that increase exposure to repetitive explosive activities, such as OWL and playing a skill position, may be important considerations in developing AP.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The cause of AP is multifactorial and poorly understood. Identifying factors associated with AP informs athletes, athletic trainers, physicians, and coaches.

Epidemiological Analysis of 245 Patients with Athletic Pubalgia

Objective To analyze the clinicoepidemiological characteristics of pubalgia in athletes and to define the epidemiological profile of patients complaining of lower abdomen and groin pain at a specialized center. Methodology  We conducted a retrospective study based on a case series to evaluate the epidemiological profile of 245 athletes with pubalgia reported in their medical records from October 2015 to February 2018. The selected sample underwent a clinical evaluation, and the results were recorded through the application of a questionnaire. Results  The sample consisted of 245 patients aged between 14 and 75 years. Soccer and running were the most prevalent sports. Most subjects (58%) trained or played sports 3 or more days a week. After evaluating specific sports movements, symptoms worsened in 24% of the patients when changing direction; in 23%, when kicking; in 22%, during sprints and speed training; in 17%, during long runs; and in 14%, when jumping. Pain during intercourse was reported by 13% of the patients. For most subjects (80%), the inguinal region, the adductor muscles, and the pubis (midline) were the main pain sites. The tests involving adductor contraction against resistance with an extended knee was positive in 77.6% of the patients, and the one involving simultaneous hip and abdomen flexion against resistance was positive in 76.7% of the sample. Conclusion  The present study has demonstrated the predominance of pubalgia in male patients who play soccer and practice running. In most cases (80%), pain occurred in the inguinal region, the adductor muscles, and the pubis. Confirmation of the clinical diagnosis took more than six months for most patients.

Prolene Hernia System Maximum Repair: A New Concept in Sports Hernia Surgery

OBJECTIVE

To describe and present the clinical results of a new surgical treatment for sports hernia.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary hospital.

PATIENTS

Athletes who underwent sports hernia repair using the proposed technique between July 2006 and June 2020.

INTERVENTION

The surgery consists of a combination of a mini-open incision and preperitoneal placement of a three-dimensional bilayer permanent mesh (PHS).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The main clinical outcomes of the procedure were reviewed, including incidence of complications, long-term results, and recurrence rate.

RESULTS

Ninety-two sports hernia repairs were performed on 87 patients (79 male and 8 female patients, median age 30.2 ± 7.8 years). No intraoperative complications were observed. The mean follow-up was 15 months. Seventy-seven patients (88.5%) successfully resumed preinjury physical activities within 8 weeks; 80 patients (91.9%) within 12 weeks; and 83 (95.4%) within 6 months (median time of 10 weeks). Only one patient reported recurrence of symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Mini-open incision PHS repair seems to be a safe and effective method for treatment of sports hernia, resulting in early return to physical activities, with few complications, and low recurrence rate.

Robotic Abdominal Wall Repair with Endoscopic Adductor Lengthening: A Minimally Invasive Approach for Core Muscle Injuries

Groin pain is a common complaint in sports medicine practices but can be a challenge to accurately diagnose given the expanse of differentials. In the athlete, groin pain may be caused by a core muscle injury, also known as sports hernia or athletic pubalgia. These injuries most frequently occur in young males who participate in explosive and rotationally demanding activities such as soccer, football, and ice hockey, which generate large forces across the trunk and hip joint. These injuries are becoming more frequently diagnosed, in part, due to the utilization of diagnostic modalities, such as dynamic ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and sensitive physical examination tests, such as the cross-body sit-up and squeeze test. When conservative management fails, surgical intervention is a good option for the athletes who desire to return to play. Surgical options include both open and laparoscopic techniques to repair abdominopelvic defects with or without attention to adductor pathology. The purpose of this article is to present a technique for minimally invasive robotic abdominal wall repair with endoscopic adductor lengthening for core muscle injuries.

Open Surgery for Sportsman’s Hernia a Retrospective Study

Sportsman’s hernia is a painful syndrome in the inguinal area occurring in patients who play sports at an amatorial or professional level. Pain arises during sport, and sometimes persists after activity, representing an obstacle to sport resumption. A laparoscopic/endoscopic approach is proposed by many authors for treatment of the inguinal wall defect. Aim of this study is to assess the open technique in terms of safety and effectiveness, in order to obtain the benefit of an open treatment in an outpatient management. From October 2017 to July 2019, 34 patients underwent surgery for groin pain syndrome. All cases exhibited a bulging of the inguinal posterior wall. 14 patients were treated with Lichtenstein technique with transversalis fascia plication and placement of a polypropylene mesh fixed with fibrin glue. In 20 cases, a polypropylene mesh was placed in the preperitoneal space. The procedure was performed in day surgery facilities. Early or late postoperative complications did not occur in both groups. All patients returned to sport, in 32 cases with complete pain relief, whereas 2 patients experienced mild residual pain. The average value of return to sport was 34.11 ± 8.44 days. The average value of return to play was 53.82 ± 11.69 days. With regard to postoperative pain, no substantial differences between the two techniques were detected, and good results in terms of the resumption of sport were ensured in both groups. Surgical treatment for sportsman’s hernia should be considered only after the failure of conservative treatment. The open technique is safe and allows a rapid postoperative recovery.

Long-standing groin pain in contact sports: a prospective case-control and MRI study

Objectives

We aimed to prospectively evaluate the prevalence of long-standing groin pain and related MRI findings in contact sports.

Methods

This case–control study followed three male elite-level soccer, ice-hockey and bandy teams (102 players) for 2 years. All athletes with long-standing groin pain lasting >30 days and age-matched controls (1:3) from the same teams were examined clinically, using pelvic MRI and Hip and Groin Outcome Scores (HAGOS). Primary outcome measures were annual prevalence of groin pain and underlying MRI findings.

Results

The annual prevalence of chronic groin pain was 7.5%. Training characteristics and pain scores of athletes were similar in all teams. On MRI, there was no significant difference in the percentage of pubic bone marrow oedema (p = 0.80) between symptomatic players (8/15; 53%) versus controls (20/43; 47%), but adductor tendinopathy and degenerative changes at the pubic symphysis were twice more common among players with pain. Rectus muscle or iliopsoas pathology were seldom observed. Lower HAGOS subscales (p < 0.01) were recorded in players who experienced groin pain compared with the controls.

Conclusion

Long-standing groin pain was observed annually in 1 of 14 athletes in contact sports. Abnormalities in the pubic symphysis were common MRI findings in both symptomatic and asymptomatic players.

Trial registration number

NCT02560480

[Sportsmen's groin : Definition, differential diagnosis and treatment]

Groin pain in athletes is a common problem and can have extensive consequences for professional athletes. The anatomical and functional complexity of the groin as well as radiating pain from remote anatomical regions can make the differential diagnosis a challenge and requires special attention. As there are a wide variety of possible causes for groin pain, a multidisciplinary approach is required. The treating orthopedic surgeon needs to pay special attention to pre-arthritic hip deformities to avoid irreversible damage of the hip joint. By a meticulous patient history and identification of the pain character, followed by clinical, sonographic and radiographic investigations, a differential diagnosis can usually be achieved. Besides typical orthopedic causes, pathological findings particularly in the area of the groin need to be considered, clarified and adequately treated; therefore, a clear terminology of the different diseases is necessary. Sportsmen's groin is not a hernia but should be perceived as a separate entity due to its typical pain character and detection of a measurable protrusion of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal by ultrasound.

Mini-open Incision Sports Hernia Repair: A Surgical Technique for Core Muscle Injury

One cause of groin pain in highly active patients may be a core muscle injury, commonly referred to as sports hernia. When patients fail nonoperative management, there are a number of surgical options that may be pursued. Typically, they will involve the direct repair of the rectus abdominis back to the pubis. However, we believe that this repair can be further strengthened by the appropriate lengthening of the adductor longus from the conjoined tendon. Therefore, we present a surgical technique that involves both rectus abdominis repair and adductor longus lengthening in those who show a core muscle injury that is refractory to conservative management. We believe that this technique can be easily replicated by practitioners reading this Technical Note.

Athletic Pubalgia in Females: Predictive Value of MRI in Outcomes of Endoscopic Surgery

Background:

Athletic pubalgia is typically associated with male athletes participating in contact sports and less frequently with females. Endoscopic surgery may fully treat the patient with athletic pubalgia.

Purpose:

To perform an outcomes analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endoscopic surgery in female patients with athletic pubalgia.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Fifteen physically active female patients (mean age, 37 years) with athletic pubalgia were treated surgically via placement of total extraperitoneal endoscopic polypropylene mesh behind the injured groin area. The presence of preoperative bone marrow edema (BME) at the pubic symphysis seen on MRI was graded from 0 to 3 and correlated with pain scores after surgery. The outcome measures were pre- and postoperative pain scores and recovery to daily activity between 1 and 12 months after surgery. Results were compared with previously published scores from male athletes (n = 30).

Results:

With the exception of lower body mass index, the females with (n = 8) and without (n = 7) pubic BME had similar patient characteristics to the corresponding males. Mean inguinal pain scores (0-10) before surgical treatment were greater in females than males (during exercise, 7.8 ± 1.1 vs 6.9 ± 1.1; P = .0131). One month after surgery, mean pain scores for females were still greater compared with males (2.9 ± 1.7 vs 1.3 ± 1.6; P = .0034). Compared with female athletes with normal MRI, pubic BME was related to increased mean preoperative pain scores (8.13 ± 0.99 vs 6.43 ± 1.2; P = .0122). After 1 year, surgical outcomes were excellent or good in 47% of women.

Conclusion:

Endoscopic surgery was helpful in half of the females with athletic pubalgia in this study. The presence of pubic BME may predict slightly prolonged recovery from surgery.

Inguinal Hernia in Athletes: Role of Dynamic Ultrasound

Background:

Inguinal hernia is a commonly encountered cause of pain in athletes. Because of the anatomic complexity, lack of standard imaging, and the dynamic condition, there is no unified opinion explaining its underlying pathology.

Hypothesis:

Athletes with persistent groin pain would have a high prevalence of inguinal hernia with dynamic ultrasound, and herniorrhaphy would successfully return athletes to activity.

Study Design:

Case-control study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

Forty-seven amateur and professional athletes with sports-related groin pain who underwent ultrasound were selected based on history and examination. Patients with prior groin surgery or hip pathology were excluded. Clinical and surgical documentation were correlated with imaging. The study group was compared with 41 age-matched asymptomatic athletes.

Results:

Ultrasound was positive for hernia with movement of bowel, bladder, or omental tissue anterior to the inferior epigastric vessels during Valsalva maneuver. The 47-patient symptomatic study group included 41 patients with direct inguinal hernias, 1 with indirect inguinal hernia, and 5 with negative ultrasound. Of 42 patients with hernia, 39 significantly improved with herniorrhaphy, 2 failed to improve after surgery and were diagnosed with adductor longus tears, and 1 improved with physical therapy. Five patients with negative ultrasound underwent magnetic resonance imaging and were diagnosed with hip labral tear or osteitis pubis. The 41-patient asymptomatic control group included 3 patients with direct inguinal hernias, 2 with indirect inguinal hernias, and 3 with femoral hernias.

Conclusion:

Inguinal hernias are a major component of groin pain in athletes. Prevalence of direct inguinal hernia in symptomatic athletes was greater than that for controls (P < 0.001). Surgery was successful in returning these athletes to sport: 39 of 42 (93%) athletes with groin pain and inguinal hernia became asymptomatic.

Clinical Relevance:

Persistent groin pain in the athlete may relate to inguinal hernia, which can be diagnosed with dynamic ultrasound imaging. Herniorrhaphy is successful at returning athletes to sports activity.

Groin Injuries (Athletic Pubalgia) and Return to Play

Context:

Groin pain is a common entity in athletes involved in sports that require acute cutting, pivoting, or kicking such as soccer and ice hockey. Athletic pubalgia is increasingly recognized as a common cause of chronic groin and adductor pain in athletes. It is considered an overuse injury predisposing to disruption of the rectus tendon insertion to the pubis and weakness of the posterior inguinal wall without a clinically detectable hernia. These patients often require surgical therapy after failure of nonoperative measures. A variety of surgical options have been used, and most patients improve and return to high-level competition.

Evidence Acquisition:

PubMed databases were searched to identify relevant scientific and review articles from January 1920 to January 2015 using the search terms groin pain, sports hernia, athletic pubalgia, adductor strain, osteitis pubis, stress fractures, femoroacetabular impingement, and labral tears.

Study Design:

Clinical review.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Results and Conclusion:

Athletic pubalgia is an overuse injury involving a weakness in the rectus abdominis insertion or posterior inguinal wall of the lower abdomen caused by acute or repetitive injury of the structure. A variety of surgical options have been reported with successful outcomes, with high rates of return to the sport in the majority of cases.

Systematic review: laparoscopic treatment of long-standing groin pain in athletes

OBJECTIVES

No single aetiological factor has been proven to cause long-standing groin pain in athletes and no sole operative technique (either open or laparoscopic) has been shown to be the preferred method of repair. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether there are any differences in the return to full sporting activity following laparoscopic repair of groin pain in athletes.

DATA SOURCES

The minimal access approaches include laparoscopic transabdominal pre-peritoneal (TAPP) or endoscopic total extraperitoneal (TEP) techniques. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, SCOPUS, UpToDate and the Cochrane Library databases. Series reporting laparoscopic repair (TAPP/TEP) of groin pain in adult (>18 years) athletes were included. The primary outcome was return to full sporting activity and secondary outcomes included percentage success rates and complications of operations.

RESULTS

Only 18 studies fulfilled the search criteria with both laparoscopic and sports hernia repairs. The studies were mainly observational with some reporting comparative data, but no large randomised controlled trials were detected. The median return to sporting activity of 4 weeks (28 days) was the same for the TAPP as well as TEP techniques. No real difference in secondary outcome measures was shown. More reported cases to date in the literature used the TAPP technique compared with TEP repair (n=605 vs n=266).

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic surgery for elite athlete groin pain is increasingly becoming more common with almost 1000 patients reported since 1997. No particular laparoscopic technique appears to offer any advantage over the other.

[Sportsmen's groin. Definition, differential diagnostics and therapy]

Groin pain in athletes is a common problem and can have extensive consequences for professional athletes. The anatomical and functional complexity of the groin as well as radiating pain from remote anatomical regions can make the differential diagnostic a challenge and requires special attention. As there are a wide variety of possible causes for groin pain, a multidisciplinary approach is required. The treating orthopedic surgeon needs to pay special attention to prearthritic hip deformities to avoid irreversible damage of the hip joint. By a meticulous patient history and identification of the pain character, followed by clinical, sonographic and radiographic investigations, a differential diagnosis can usually be achieved. Besides typical orthopedic causes pathological findings particularly in the area of the groin need to be considered, clarified and adequately treated; therefore, a clear terminology of the different diseases is necessary. Sportsmen's groin is not a hernia but should be perceived as a separate entity due to its typical pain character and detection of a measurable protrusion of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal by ultrasound.

Sports hernia and femoroacetabular impingement in athletes: A systematic review

AIM: To investigate the association between sports hernias and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in athletes.

METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and Google Scholar databases were electronically searched for articles relating to sports hernia, athletic pubalgia, groin pain, long-standing adductor-related groin pain, Gilmore groin, adductor pain syndrome, and FAI. The initial search identified 196 studies, of which only articles reporting on the association of sports hernia and FAI or laparoscopic treatment of sports hernia were selected for systematic review. Finally, 24 studies were reviewed to evaluate the prevalence of FAI in cases of sports hernia and examine treatment outcomes and evidence for a common underlying pathogenic mechanism.

RESULTS: FAI has been reported in as few as 12% to as high as 94% of patients with sports hernias, athletic pubalgia or adductor-related groin pain. Cam-type impingement is proposed to lead to increased symphyseal motion with overload on the surrounding extra-articular structures and muscle, which can result in the development of sports hernia and athletic pubalgia. Laparoscopic repair of sports hernias, via either the transabdominal preperitoneal or extraperitoneal approach, has a high success rate and earlier recovery of full sports activity compared to open surgery or conservative treatment. For patients with FAI and sports hernia, the surgical management of both pathologies is more effective than sports pubalgia treatment or hip arthroscopy alone (89% vs 33% of cases). As sports hernias and FAI are typically treated by general and orthopedic surgeons, respectively, a multidisciplinary approach for diagnosis and treatment is recommended for optimal treatment of patients with these injuries.

CONCLUSION: The restriction in range of motion due to FAI likely contributes to sports hernias; therefore, surgical treatment of both pathologies represents an optimal therapy.

Contemporary management of 'Inguinal disruption' in the sportsman's groin

Background

This article helps define the basic principles to diagnosis and manage one of the surgically correctable causes of the ‘painful groin’, which is commonly described as the sportsman’s groin.

Discussion

Often many surgeons will describe a single pathology for the sportsman’s groin such as a ‘hernia’ but often other coexisting etiologies may be present.

Management relies on a multidisciplinary approach with a diagnosis initially made by a history of pain in the groin on exercise. Physiotherapy is the recommended first line treatment and is designed to concentrate on strengthening of the abdominal wall muscle and tendon groups around the groin area.

Surgery does have a role in the sportsman’s groin but only once all conservative measures have been exhausted or if there is a clear identified pathology causing the groin symptoms such as posterior wall defect.

Surgical principles for an inguinal disruption include either open or laparoscopic techniques reinforcing the inguinal canal with a mesh or suture repair followed by an active rehabilitation programme.

Summary

Once an accurate diagnosis has been achieved, contemporary guidance for inguinal disruption requires a multidisciplinary approach including a specially designed physiotherapy regime and possibly surgery.

A literature review on the role of totally extraperitoneal repairs for groin pain in athletes

A literature review was made on the role of totally extraperitoneal (TEP) hernia repairs for groin pain in athletes. Electronic databases were searched for literature published from January 1993 to November 2011. There were 10 articles incorporating 196 patients included in this review. Thirty percent of patients were reported to have direct inguinal hernias, 22% had indirect inguinal hernias, and 41% had dilated internal rings. Of note, 30% of cases had no macroscopic abnormality. Four studies reported on an early follow-up ranging between 3 and 6 weeks. Only minimal or mild symptoms were reported. Up to 33% of patients had impaired ability to perform at peak levels. Up to 53% of patients had persistence of symptoms at the early follow-up. Total follow-up time ranged from 3 to 80 months, and most patients were active (90%-100%). At long-term follow-up, 3% to 10% were unable to play, and 5% were reported as being unable to train. Two studies from the same center reported on TEP surgery for osteitis pubis, and most patients returned to sporting activity after 4 to 8 weeks. TEP repair is a good operative intervention in athletes with chronic groin pain not relieved by conservative measures. Athletes recover quickly and return to sport early.

Health-related quality of life after TAPP repair for the sportsmen's groin

BACKGROUND

Sportsmen's groin (SG) is a clinical diagnosis of chronic, painful musculotendinous injury to the medial inguinal floor in the absence of a groin hernia. Long-term results for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, especially data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), are scant and there are no available data whatsoever on HRQOL after SG. The main goal of this study was to compare postoperative QOL data in the long term after transabdominal preperitoneal hernioplasty (TAPP) in groin hernia and SG patients with QOL data of a normal population.

METHODS

This study included all patients (n = 559) who underwent TAPP repair between 2000 and 2005. Forty seven patients (8.4 %) were operated on for SG. We sent out the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire for QOL evaluation. QOL data were compared with data from an age- and sex-matched normal population.

RESULTS

Ultimately, 383 completed questionnaires were available for evaluation (69 % response rate). The mean follow-up time was 94 ± 20 months. In the SG group there were statistically significant differences in three subscales of the SF-36 and the mental component summary measure, showing better results for the SG group compared to the sex- and age-matched normal group data. There were no statistically significant differences between groin hernia patients and the sex- and age-matched normal population.

CONCLUSION

TAPP repair for SG as well as groin hernia results in good HRQOL in the long term. Results for SG patients are comparable with QOL data of a normal population or even better.

Effect of pubic bone marrow edema on recovery from endoscopic surgery for athletic pubalgia

Athletic pubalgia (sportsman's hernia) is often repaired by surgery. The presence of pubic bone marrow edema (BME) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may effect on the outcome of surgery. Surgical treatment of 30 patients with athletic pubalgia was performed by placement of totally extraperitoneal endoscopic mesh behind the painful groin area. The presence of pre-operative BME was graded from 0 to 3 using MRI and correlated to post-operative pain scores and recovery to sports activity 2 years after operation. The operated athletes participated in our previous prospective randomized study. The athletes with (n = 21) or without (n = 9) pubic BME had similar patients' characteristics and pain scores before surgery. Periostic and intraosseous edema at symphysis pubis was related to increase of post-operative pain scores only at 3 months after surgery (P = 0.03) but not to long-term recovery. Two years after surgery, three athletes in the BME group and three in the normal MRI group needed occasionally pain medication for chronic groin pain, and 87% were playing at the same level as before surgery. This study indicates that the presence of pubic BME had no remarkable long-term effect on recovery from endoscopic surgical treatment of athletic pubalgia.

Sports hernia: the experience of Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas

Groin injuries in high-performance athletes are common, occurring in 5% to 28% of athletes. Athletic pubalgia syndrome, or so-called sports hernia, is one such injury that can be debilitating and sport ending in some athletes. It is a clinical diagnosis of chronic, painful musculotendinous injury to the medial inguinal floor occurring with athletic activity. Over the past 12 years, we have operated on >100 patients with this injury at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. These patients have included professional athletes, collegiate athletes, competitive recreational athletes, and the occasional "weekend warrior." The repair used is an open technique using a lightweight polypropylene mesh. Patient selection is important, as is collaboration with other experienced and engaged sports health care professionals, including team trainers, physical therapists, team physicians, and sports medicine and orthopedic surgeons. Of the athletes who underwent surgery, 98% have returned to competition. After a minimum of 6 weeks for recovery and rehabilitation, they have usually returned to competition within 3 months.

Laparoscopic surgery for chronic groin pain in athletes is more effective than nonoperative treatment: a randomized clinical trial with magnetic resonance imaging of 60 patients with sportsman's hernia (athletic pubalgia)

BACKGROUND

Chronic groin pain in athletes presents often a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Sportsman's hernia (also called "athletic pubalgia") is a deficiency of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal, which is often repaired by laparoscopic mesh placement. Endoscopic mesh repair may offer a faster recovery for athletes with sportsman's hernia than nonoperative therapy.

METHODS

A randomized, prospective study was conducted on 60 patients with a diagnosis of chronic groin pain and suspected sportsman's hernia. Clinical data and MRI were collected on all patients. After 3 to 6 months of groin symptoms, the patients were randomized into an operative or a physiotherapy group (n = 30 patients in each group). Operation was performed using a totally extraperitoneal repair in which mesh was placed behind the symphysis and painful groin area. Conservative treatment included at least 2 months of active physiotherapy, including corticosteroid injections and oral anti-inflammatory analgesics. The outcome measures were pre- and postoperative pain using a visual analogue scale and partial or full recovery to sports activity at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after randomization.

RESULTS

The athletes in both treatment groups had similar characteristics and pain scores. Operative repair was more effective than nonoperative treatment to decrease chronic groin pain after 1 month and up to 12 months of follow-up (P < .001). Of the 30 athletes who underwent operation, 27 (90%) returned to sports activities after 3 months of convalescence compared to 8 (27%) of the 30 athletes in the nonoperative group (P < .0001). Of the 30 athletes in the conservatively treated group, 7 (23 %) underwent operation later because of persistent groin pain.

CONCLUSION

This randomized controlled study indicated that the endoscopic placement of retropubic mesh was more efficient than conservative therapy for the treatment of sportsman's hernia (athletic pubalgia).

Prevalence and etiological factors of sport-related groin injuries in top-level soccer compared to non-contact sports

PURPOSE

Groin injuries and chronic pain are relatively common in soccer and other contact sports. Our aim was to define the gender-related frequency of both acute and chronic groin injuries in soccer compared to non-contact endurance sports.

METHODS

A 12-month study of 613 professional athletes was conducted in 2006. Premier league soccer players (77 males and 90 females) answered retrospectively 70 multi-choice questions of sport injuries. Factors related to groin injuries were compared with corresponding data of elite-level swimmers (n = 154), long-distance runners (n = 143) and cross-country skiers (n = 149).

RESULTS

In soccer, 125/167 players had 375 injuries (274 acute and 101 overuse injuries) and the number of acute injuries were 146/274 (53%) in males and 128/274 (47%) in females (p = 0.368). Acute groin injury was reported in 15/167 (9.0%) of elite soccer players compared to 3/154 (2.0%) in swimmers (p = 0.006) and 1.4% in both long-distance running (n = 2) and skiing (n = 2, p = 0.003). Male soccer players had acute groin injuries nearly three times more frequently than females. Chronic persistent groin pain was found in only one male and two female soccer players and no athletes in endurance sports.

CONCLUSIONS

Almost every tenth soccer player had an acute groin injury. Long-standing groin pain was not frequent in soccer and it was not found in non-contact endurance sport at the elite-level.