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Sports hernia repair with adductor tenotomy

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Abstract

Purpose

Sports hernias, or athletic pubalgia, is common in athletes, and primarily involves injury to the fascia, muscles, and tendons of the inguinal region near their insertion onto the pubic bone. However, management varies widely, and rectus and adductor tenotomies have not been adequately described. The purpose of this manuscript is to demonstrate a suture repair and a rectus and adductor longus tenotomy technique for sports hernias.

Methods

After magnetic-resonance-imaging confirmation of sports hernias with rectus and adductor tendonitis, 22 patients underwent a suture herniorrhaphy with adductor tenotomy. The procedure is performed through a 4-cm incision, and a fascial release of the rectus abdominis and adductor tenotomy is performed to relieve the opposing vector forces on the pubic bone.

Results

All 22 patients returned to their respective sports and regained their ability to perform at a high level, including professional status. No further surgery was required.

Conclusion

In athletes with MRI confirmation of rectus and adductor longus injuries, tenotomies along with a herniorraphy may improve outcomes. A suture repair to reinforce the inguinal floor prevents mesh-related complications, especially in young athletes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, The George Washington University, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 6B, Washington, DC, 20037, USA

    J. N. Harr & F. Brody

Authors
  1. J. N. Harr
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  2. F. Brody
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Correspondence to F. Brody.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individuals participants included in the study.

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Harr, J.N., Brody, F. Sports hernia repair with adductor tenotomy. Hernia 21, 139–147 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-016-1520-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-016-1520-8

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