Surgical treatment of sports hernia: Open mesh approach

The use of tension-free mesh approaches in the treatment of inguinal hernia has largely supplanted primary tissue repairs over the last 20 years. The advantages of this approach for inguinal hernia repair are less pain, a more rapid return to physical activity, and a lower long-term recurrence rate. For similar reasons, a tension-free mesh approach to repair sports hernia or athletic pubalgia injuries in appropriately selected athletes has resulted in successful outcomes. In this chapter, selection of athletes for surgery, technical aspects of mesh repair including adjunctive procedures, and outcomes of treatment are presented.