Proposed algorithm for the management of athletes with athletic pubalgia (sports hernia): a case series.
METHODS
A case series of 6 athletes with a suspected sports hernia.


BACKGROUND
Groin pain in athletes is common, and 1 source of groin pain is athletic pubalgia, or a sports hernia. Description of this condition and its management is scarce in the physical therapy literature. The purpose of this case series is to describe a conservative approach to treating athletes with a likely sports hernia and to provide physical therapists with an algorithm for managing athletes with this dysfunction.


METHODS
Six collegiate athletes (age range, 19-22 years; 4 males, 2 females) with a physician diagnosis of groin pain secondary to possible/probable sports hernia were referred to physical therapy. A method of evaluation was constructed and a cluster of 5 key findings indicative of a sports hernia is presented. The athletes were managed according to a proposed algorithm and received physical therapy consisting of soft tissue and joint mobilization/manipulation, neuromuscular re-education, manual stretching, and therapeutic exercise.


RESULTS
Three of the athletes received conservative intervention and were able to fully return to sport after a mean of 7.7 sessions of physical therapy. The other 3 athletes reached this outcome after surgical repair and a mean of 6.7 sessions of physical therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Conservative management including manual therapy appears to be a viable option in the management of athletes with a sports hernia. Follow-up randomized clinical trials should be performed to further investigate the effectiveness of conservative rehabilitation compared to a homogeneous group of patients undergoing surgical repair for this condition.


METHODS
Therapy, level 4.
Kachingwe
Aimie F
AF
Department of Physical Therapy, California State University, Northridge, CA 91330-8411, USA. aimie.kachingwe@csun.edu
Grech
Steven
S
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006119:Groin / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome