Surgical Outcomes of Inguinal-, Pubic-, and Adductor-Related Chronic Pain in Athletes: A Systematic Review Based on Surgical Technique

Narrative review of long-standing groin pain in athletes. Retrospective analysis of over 12 000 patients

PURPOSE

This article critically examines long-standing groin pain (LSGP) in physically active adults related to sports overload by analyzing terminology, pathophysiology, and treatment.

METHOD

This review is based on data from over 10,000 patients managed through a multidisciplinary algorithm. (LSGP) has been variably labeled, using terms that have led to inconsistencies in understanding its origin and management. Terms such as "Pubic Inguinal Pain Syndrome," "Sportsman's Groin," and "Athletic Pubalgia" have been proposed to standardize terminology and unify the classification of (LSGP). Pathophysiologically, (LSGP) is often due to tendinopathies affecting major tendons in the groin region, such as the adductors, iliopsoas, conjoint tendon, and inguinal ligament, often associated with weakness in the posterior wall of the inguinal canal. This condition frequently arises in sports involving abrupt directional changes and high-energy loads in the groin. Tendinopathies progress through reactive, reparative, or degenerative stages of tendinosis.

RESULTS

Literature supports a multidisciplinary approach involving surgeons, physiotherapists, sports medicine physicians, and orthopedists for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Our algorithm focuses on both anatomical and functional factors in managing (LSGP). Initial conservative therapies aim to support tendon regeneration and load correction, while surgical interventions, such as laparoscopic hernioplasty, are reserved for non-responsive cases. From 2004 to 2024, 12,144 patients completed this protocol, with only 14% requiring surgery. Long-term follow-up demonstrated a low recurrence rate of tendinopathy and an absence of severe complications.

CONCLUSION

Standardizing terminology, understanding pathophysiology, and utilizing a multidisciplinary approach are essential for optimizing the diagnosis and management of sports-related (LSGP).

Sportsman's Hernia repair using Nesovic procedure, a 13-year single-center experience

Sportsman's hernia is very frequent in some sports, particularly in football. This painful syndrome is reported by high-level athletes as well as amateurs. There is no consensus about the management of sportsman's hernia, because of the heterogeneity in anatomoclinic forms. In case of surgical indication, the Nesovic procedure, also named "fasciomyoplasty", is one of the recommended procedures for the abdomino-parietal forms. Our objective was to report our experience with this procedure in terms of short- and mid-term results. All the patients who underwent Nesovic procedure between January 2009 and December 2022 in our center were retrospectively reviewed. 43 patients (98% men; mean age: 29.5 ± 9.2 years) were included. 37% of patients were professional athletes. The median time from symptoms' onset to diagnosis was 3 months (range = 1-72 months). The median time from diagnosis to surgery was 7 months (range = 1-58 months). Postoperative overall morbidity occurred in six patients (14%), including scrotum swelling (n = 2), hematoma (n = 1), serous collection (n = 1) and acute urinary retention (n = 2). No major complication occurred. At the end of follow-up (median: 1 year; range = 1 month-11 years), 84% of patients recovered their previous sports activity, after a mean delay of 2 months. Nesovic procedure is efficient in more than 80% of sports patients without any major morbidity.

The Genitofemoral Nerve Is the Structure Closest to the Tendon Footprint and Is Most at Risk for Iatrogenic Injury During Proximal Adductor Longus Repair: A Cadaveric Anatomy Study

Purpose

To identify structures at risk during proximal adductor longus repair and to report observed distances between these structures and the adductor longus (AL) footprint.

Methods

Eight hemipelves from fresh cadaver whole-body specimens were dissected using a previously established surgical approach. The tendinous attachment of the AL was scored into the underlying bone and the footprint size was measured in millimeters. A guidewire was placed at the footprint center along the longitudinal axis of the resected AL muscle. Utilizing a digital caliper, the proximity of key anatomic structures was measured as the radial distance from the guidewire and distance distal to the footprint along the guidewire axis.

Results

The AL footprint was on average 16.95 ± 3.02 mm wide by 9.36 ± 1.66 mm high. The ilioinguinal nerve was 27.10 ± 7.25 mm distal to the AL footprint and 31.75 ± 7.51 mm medial, with a resulting mean surface area of 158.12 ± 39.90 (110.9-230.2). mm2 The genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve was found 7.79 ± 4.05 mm proximal and 15.37 ± 4.54 mm medial. The round ligament (n = 6) was 14.00 ± 2.75 mm and the spermatic cord (n = 2) was 13.57 ± 3.02 mm directly superficial to the AL footprint. The obturator nerve was 63.98 ± 4.57 mm distal as it crossed the adductor brevis muscle laterally. The location of the external pudendal artery was variable but was found to have a mean distance of 37.01 ± 17.97 mm distal and immediately deep to the AL.

Conclusions

When repairing AL tendon injuries, the genitofemoral nerve is the structure anatomically nearest the footprint of the tendon, and this structure is most at risk for iatrogenic injury.

Clinical Relevance

This study investigates the structures at risk during AL repair and seeks to define their location relative to the footprint. These findings will assist surgeons in identifying the crucial anatomic structures at risk to safely perform an anatomic repair of the tendon and avoid iatrogenic complications.

Surgical Reattachment of Rare Proximal Adductor Avulsion Injury in a Female Athlete: A Case Report

CASE

A 54-year-old female professional equestrian sustained a traumatic right groin injury with disabling groin pain. Magnetic resonance images indicated a proximal adductor avulsion injury with a 3.2-cm tendon retraction. Surgical reattachment of the fibrocartilage avulsion with suture anchor repair was subsequently performed.

CONCLUSION

Adductor avulsion injuries have been rarely reported in female athletes. Patient-reported outcomes demonstrate a successful return to preinjury levels of daily function and sports performance after surgery for a female athlete. Surgical reattachment should be considered for the management of proximal adductor avulsion injuries in elite female athletes.

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.

A proposed algorithm for the treatment of core muscle injuries

In recent years, there has been increased awareness and treatment of groin injuries in athletes. These injuries have been associated with various terminologies including sports hernia, core muscle injury (CMI), athletic pubalgia and inguinal disruption, among others. Treatment of these injuries has been performed by both orthopaedic and general surgeons and may include a variety of procedures such as rectus abdominis repair, adductor lengthening, abdominal wall repair with or without mesh, and hip arthroscopy for the treatment of concomitant femoroacetabular impingement. Despite our increased knowledge of these injuries, there is still no universal terminology, diagnostic methodology or treatment for a CMI. The purpose of this review is to present a detailed treatment algorithm for physicians treating patients with signs and symptoms of a CMI. In doing so, we aim to clarify the various pathologies involved in CMI, eliminate vague terminology, and present a clear, stepwise approach for both diagnosis and treatment of these injuries.