Hernias can occur at any age in both males and females. There is no protrusion of an organ through its usual confines. The sports hernia is a relatively new medical concept and not all physicians embrace it. The sports hernia is a disruption of the groin or lower abdomen characterized by weakening of the posterior, or inner, wall of the inguinal canal, which leads to unilateral groin or lower abdominal pain. Sports hernias may occur due to leg adductor action, or bringing the leg toward the middle of the body, during activity.
Adduction creates shearing forces across the pubic symphysis, stressing the posterior inguinal wall.
A sudden force or repetitive stress to the muscles in this region causes the muscles to separate from their attachment site. These types of forces are most commonly generated in sports like ice hockey and soccer. According to a recent study, nearly 20 percent of professional ice hockey players suffered from groin and abdominal strain injuries, including hernia, during the 1996-97 season. That would be five players on a 25-player roster. An older study showed that, during surgery, sports hernias were present in 50 percent of 186 male athletes who complained of groin pain that lasted longer than eight weeks.