Sports Hernia Picture Gallery

Sports Hernia Physical Therapy | Written by Jon Chambers | Updated on 27 December 2021

sports hernia pictures gallery intro

If you haven’t already, check out the full athletic pubalgia section as only sports hernia pictures and infographics will be shown and discussed in this article.

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Before diving into some pictures that show the location of the injury, MRI radiographs, and surgery take a look at the impressive graphic made up of twenty different official scientific case studies and reports.

Injury and Pain Location Pictures

While the precise location of the injury can happen anywhere, tears and strains occur somewhere along the posterior inguinal wall—affecting the deep layer of the abdomen known as the transversalis fascia. Tears may also affect the external oblique muscles as well.

picture of the posterior inguinal wall, a susceptible spot for injury

The posterior inguinal wall, or transversalis fascia.

Because this abdominal layer is on the “posterior” or back wall, it doesn’t produce a visible bulge—making it difficult to diagnose for doctors who aren’t familiar or specialized in treating the injury.

MRI Radiology Pictures

While sports hernia injuries come in many different flavors (as many as 17 as shown in the infographic above!) the same is even more true in the case of looking at radiographic MRI images of different patients. In the case of diagnosis, ultrasound may be preferred because MRI usage requires a highly-trained specialist knowledgeable in pubic and pelvic imaging.

This article by radiological society of North America shows a handful of different images. In all of them you will notice the exact “weakness” or issue is slightly different, but still clearly noticeable when looking at the uninjured side.

Surgery Pictures

There are two main forms of surgery for the injury: minimal repair and mesh. Because we have covered this debate in depth on the article covering surgery costs, we will show both here.

Minimal Repair Technique

The minimal repair technique relies on the use of a tension-free suture to alleviate pressure and tension from the pubic area.

Sports Hernia Surgery Using the Minimal Repair Technique

Mesh

Mesh surgery, on the other hand, is very different. It is often done laparoscopically and involves placing a foreign mesh material into the body to provide strength and support to surrounding areas.

Sports Hernia Surgery with Mesh

About the Author

Squatting 500 pounds on an ohio rogue bar with a sports hernia

Jon Chambers

Jon Chambers is a powerlifter, strength coach, sports hernia expert, and writer involved in the strength training community for almost a decade on a mission to create the best strength and fitness guides on the web.