Mri and ultrasound criteria for the diagnosis of a sports hernia in football players.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to specify diagnostic MRI and ultrasound criteria for a sports hernia in order to verify its diagnosis in football players. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The study included 50 professional and amateur football players aged 15 to 34 from 2016 to 2019. The criteria for inclusion in the study were: the presence of groin pain in football players, which prevented them from continuing to actively participate in sports activities. RESULTS: Results: The findings of the study revealed that during MRI the two factors, which had the strongest influence, were "increased MR signal intensity on PDfs observed from the structures of the inguinal canal" and "increased MR signal intensity on PDfs observed from bone marrow of superior ramus of the pubic bone". During ultrasound of the inguinal area, the main criterion for a sports hernia diagnosis was "increased size of the inguinal canal". The verification of the diagnosis was carried out on the basis of the presence of a protrusion in the posterior wall of the inguinal canal. For a sports hernia diagnosis the MRI sensitivity is 91.67% (95% CI 77.5 - 98.2), specificity -78.57% (95% CI 49.2 - 95.3) and the sensitivity of ultrasound is 88.89% (95% CI 73.9 - 96.9), the specificity - 50% (95% CI 23.0 - 77). CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The combination of MRI and ultrasound makes it possible to accurately detect the presence of a sports hernia in the football player. Based on the findings of our study, we formulated MRI and ultrasound criteria for a sports hernia diagnosis.

Cam morphology and inguinal pathologies: is there a possible connection?

BACKGROUND: To analyse the prevalences of the cam and pincer morphologies in a cohort of patients with groin pain syndrome caused by inguinal pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four patients (40 men and 4 women) who suffered from groin pain syndrome were enrolled in the study. All the patients were radiographically and clinically evaluated following a standardised protocol established by the First Groin Pain Syndrome Italian Consensus Conference on Terminology, Clinical Evaluation and Imaging Assessment in Groin Pain in Athlete. Subsequently, all of the subjects underwent a laparoscopic repair of the posterior inguinal wall. RESULTS: The study demonstrated an association between the cam morphology and inguinal pathologies in 88.6% of the cases (39 subjects). This relationship may be explained by noting that the cam morphology leads to biomechanical stress at the posterior inguinal wall level. CONCLUSIONS: Athletic subjects who present the cam morphology may be considered a population at risk of developing inguinal pathologies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Observational cross-sectional study.

The Role of MRI in Groin Pain Syndrome in Athletes.

Groin pain syndrome (GPS) is one of the most frequent injuries in competitive sports. Stresses generated in the lower limbs by quick turns and accelerations, such as in soccer, basketball or hockey, can produce localized regions of increased forces, resulting in anatomical lesions. The differential diagnoses are numerous and comprise articular, extra-articular, muscular, tendinous and visceral clinical conditions and a correct diagnosis is crucial if treatment is to be efficient. MRI is the gold standard of diagnostic techniques, especially when an alternative pathology needs to be excluded and/or other imaging techniques such as ultrasound or radiography do not lead to a diagnosis. This paper, based on the current literature, gives a comprehensive review of the anatomy of the pubic region and of the typical MRI findings in those affected by GPS. Many clinical conditions causing GPS can be investigated by MRI within appropriate protocols. However, MRI shows limits in reliability in the investigation of inguinal and femoral hernias and therefore is not the imaging technique of choice for studying these clinical conditions.

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.

Acute Groin Pain Syndrome Due to Internal Obturator Muscle Injury in a Professional Football Player.

Traumatic groin pain syndrome is the result of an acute trauma, usually an indirect muscle injury (i.e., an overstretching of the muscle fibers). The most affected muscles in traumatic groin pain syndrome are rectus abdominis, adductors, and iliopsoas. The internal obturator muscle lesion is very rare. The internal obturator muscle externally rotates the thigh and contributes to the stabilization of the hip joint and its indirect injury may cause the onset of traumatic groin pain syndrome. This case report describes a rare indirect injury of internal obturator in a 29-year-old professional male soccer player.

Inguinal pain syndrome. The influence of intraoperative local administration of 0.5% bupivacaine on postoperative pain control following Lichtenstein hernioplasty. A prospective case-control study.

With current technological advancement and availability of synthetic materials used in inguinal hernia repair, a recurrence after first intervention is not a common and important adverse event. On the other hand, however, some patients complain about chronic pain of the operated site after surgeries using a polypropylene mesh. Many patients are constrained to a prolonged use of analgesics and increased frequency of control visits, which may eventually result in loss of trust in the operator. Every surgical intervention is associated with the risk of immediate or delayed complications. Genitofemoral neuralgia is associated with dysfunction of peripheral nerves passing through the inguinal canal or the surrounding tissue and it is a chronic, troublesome and undesired complication of an inguinal hernia repair. The possibility of minimizing chronic inguinal pain by proper management during herniorraphy should be considered in all cases of an inguinal canal reconstruction. The aim of the study was to investigate whether an intraoperative injection of 0.5% bupivacaine into the operated site (preemptive analgesia) has an influence on the postoperative pain assessed on the day of operation as well as the 1st and 2nd postoperative day after Lichtenstein hernioplasty of an inguinal, scrotal or recurrent hernia. In the studied population, we attempted to identify risk factors affecting pain level after surgical repair of an inguinal, scrotal or recurrent hernia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the period between December 2015 and May 2016, 133 patients with preoperative diagnosis of an inguinal (81.95%, n=109), scrotal (13.53%, n=18) or recurrent hernia (4.51%, n=6) underwent an elective intervention and were randomly allocated to the group, which intraoperatively received 20 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine locally in selected anatomical points of the inguinal canal. In the group with preoperative diagnosis of an inguinal hernia, this intervention was applied in 56.88% of cases (n=62). In the case of scrotal or recurrent hernia, a similar intervention was applied in 41.67% (n=10) of patients. During the hospital stay, pain was assessed four times a day using the NRS numeric scale. All patients received preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis, and, during observation, analgesics and low-molecular-weight heparin were used. In the studied group, risk factor were identified, which affect the pain level associated with surgical treatment of an inguinal hernia. RESULTS: Mean pain level score according to the NRS scale (0-10) for an inguinal hernia was 4.17 on day 0 (standard deviation 2.22; minimum 0; maximum 10). On day 1 - 2.86 (standard deviation 1.86; minimum 0; maximum 8). On day 2 - 0.84 (standard deviation 1.21; minimum 0; maximum 5). The values of those parameters for a scrotal and recurrent hernia were as follows: on day 0 - 3.67 (standard deviation 1.76; minimum 0; maximum 7). On day 1 - 3.79 (standard deviation 1.67; minimum 0; maximum 7). On day 2 - 2.25 (standard deviation 1.54; minimum 0; maximum 4). Intraoperative application of 20 mL 0.5% bupivacaine did not reduce the postoperative pain on the postoperative day 0, 1, 2. Among independent risk factors exacerbating pain, the following variables were identified: local complications of the operated site including edema, ecchymosis and hematoma of the inguinal region. More frequent dressing changes were directly correlated with an increased pain sensation. Postoperative urethral catheterization due to urinary retention was associated with an increased pain immediately after surgery. In the case of intraoperative diagnosis of concurrent direct and indirect hernia (so-called pantaloon hernia), less intense pain was observed on postoperative day 0. Other parameters such as age, sex, duration of operation, duration of hospitalization and wound drainage did not influence the pain sensation. CONCLUSIONS: Local injection of an analgesic into the operated site was not associated with the reduction of pain assessed on postoperative day 0, 1 and 2 after an isolated inguinal, scrotal or recurrent hernia repair. Pathologies of the operated site such as edema, ecchymosis or hematoma were associated with an increased pain sensations on observation. Also, postoperative urinary retention and urethral catheterization increased the pain sensation after an inguinal hernia repair. A lack of wound complications significantly decreased the pain sensation during the immediate postoperative period after hernia repair.

Groin pain syndrome: an association of different pathologies and a case presentation.

BACKGROUND: groin pain affects all types of athletes, especially soccer players. Many diseases with different etiologies may cause groin pain. PURPOSE: offer a mini review of groin pain in soccer accompanied by the presentation of a case report highlighting the possible association of more clinical frameworks into the onset of groin pain syndrome, in order to recommend that clinical evaluations take into account possible associations between bone, muscle and tendon such as inguinal canal disease. CONCLUSION: the multifactorial etiology of groin pain syndrome needs to be examined with a comprehensive approach, with standardized clinical evaluation based on an imaging protocol in order to evaluate all possible diseases. STUDY DESIGN: Mini review- Case report (Level V).