AOSSM LogoA sports hernia takes place when there seems to be a weakening of the muscles or tendons of the lower abdominal wall. A study claims that a new minimally invasive sports hernia repair may get athletes back in the game around 3 times quicker as compared to the conventional repair.

Sports hernia were said to be frequently hard to identify and before this new repair appeared to encompass a prolonged rehabilitation time. Professional football players like New England Patriots Tom Brady, Philadelphia Eagles Donovan McNabb and Kevin Curtis, and New Orleans Saints Jeremy Shockey have apparently all experienced sports hernias during the past few years.

Gregg J. Jarit, MD, Sports Medicine Fellow at the University of Virginia, commented, “This injury has always been difficult to diagnose and treat because it wasn’t clear what was causing the pain. But the key to success in this new procedure is identifying where the pain is coming from, which we believe is frequently a nerve compression.”

Sports hernia repair is said to be conventionally concentrated on a surgery that apparently tightens the complete pelvic floor, thereby leading to am extensive recuperation time. The new minimally invasive technique, established by Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck of Germany, includes a tightening of a smaller region of pelvic weakness and easing the genitofemoral nerve compression. The particular region to be mended is apparently discovered pre-operatively by hi-definition ultrasound.

In the study, around 16 patients who had the conventional sports hernia repair and a second group of about 10 patients with the newer, minimally invasive repair were questioned and their results concerning return to work or sport, feeling ‘back to normal,’ by and large satisfaction and complications.

It was seen that patients with the new repair came back to work or sports at an average of around 4.5 weeks, while those with the usual repair returned at an average of roughly 16.5 weeks. Apparently, it was observed those who had the new repair felt ‘back to normal’ at an average of approximately 5 weeks as opposed to the traditional group who took roughly 20 weeks. The by and large satisfaction and complications were supposedly noted to be similar in both the groups.

The study was presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Specialty Day in New Orleans.