At the OrthTeam, our specialist hip and groin service provides diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of conditions including groin pain, chronic groin pain, hernia, sportsman’s groin, and nerve issues.

What is a sportsman's groin?

Sportsman’s groin (also known as Gilmore’s groin, sportsman’s hernia, Athletic Pubalgia or inguinal disruption) is an injury, which commonly presents as pain in the Groin on one or both sides and is generally located along or next to the pubic bone. It is a repetitive strain injury and can be experienced whilst kicking in football and rugby, as well as with twisting and turning movements. It is also apparent in some patients whilst coughing and sneezing, which can help distinguish it from a Hip related pain.

Why does it occur?

'Sportsman’s groin' is thought to happen when the muscles or tendons of the lower abdominal wall are weakened as the result of repeated micro-injuries. This lower part the abdomen is the same region where inguinal hernias occur. However, whereas in inguinal hernias there is sufficient weakening of the abdominal wall to allow a pouch (the hernia) to be evident, in the case of a Sportsman’s groin there is no actual ‘hernia’.

Diagnosis 

This can make a sportsman's groin difficult to diagnose and treat because of the interplay between the hip joint, nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments, particularly the adductor tendons and the rectus abdominis muscle origin from the pubic bone. This means that very similar symptoms can be caused by anyone of these structures, but usually there is no single cause but a combination of these factors giving rise to the groin pain experienced. It is therefore essential that expert treatment is obtained, aided by the latest in imaging technology and assisted by a specifically designed physiotherapy programme.

Professor Sheen is a leading expert in groin pain and defined it as inguinal disruption in 2014 as well as undertook the first and only randomised trial comparing open versus laparoscopic surgery and more recently has published a scoring system to help determine a recommended treatment plan for groin pain based an a ’triple' assessment called the SPoRTS score to aid clinicians and physiotherapists assessing such complaints.