Sportsman’s hernia? An ambiguous term

Abstract

Groin pain is common in athletes. Yet, there is disagreement on aetiology, pathomechanics and terminology. A plethora of terms have been employed to explain inguinal-related groin pain in athletes. Recently, at the British Hernia Society in Manchester 2012, a consensus was reached to use the term inguinal disruption based on the pathophysiology while lately the Doha agreement in 2014 defined it as inguinal-related groin pain, a clinically based taxonomy. This review article emphasizes the anatomy, pathogenesis, standard clinical assessment and imaging, and highlights the treatment options for inguinal disruption.