I am a sports fan. ESPN is my favorite network. Over the past year I have noticed that more and more athletes are suffering from sports hernias. I did not recall hearing this phrase in the past. I was reading an article about Donovan McNabb this morning. It included a reminder that he is having surgery for a sports hernia. One of the guards on my favorite college basketball team is out recovering from sports hernia surgery. Here I am, a full professor of medicine and I do not know what the heck a sports hernia is. So – the internet comes to the rescue:

The ‘Sports Hernia’: A Common Cause of Groin Pain

Athletes who participate in sports that require repetitive twisting and turning at speed, such as soccer or ice hockey, may be at risk of developing a ‘sports hernia’—disruption of the inguinal canal without a clinically detectable hernia. Insidious onset of unilateral groin pain is the most common symptom. Concurrent pathologies, such as osteitis pubis and adductor tenoperiostitis, may complicate diagnosis. Plain radiographs and a bone scan can aid differential diagnosis, but herniography is not recommended. Surgery is the preferred treatment. Structured rehabilitation should enable athletes to return to sports activity 6 to 8 weeks after surgery.

Now you and I know what the sportscasters are talking about!