Surgical or Conservative Treatment of Sportsman Hernia

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Groin Pain
• Interventions: Procedure: laparoscopic hernioplasty (TEP)

• Registration Number: NCT00966589
• Lead Sponsor: Kuopio University Hospital

Brief Summary

Five to ten percent of athletes and physical active adults are suffering chronic groin pain. The most common diagnoses are adductor tendinitis, sportsman hernia and osteitis pubis. Sportsman hernia is not a real hernia in the groin, but overuse injury of the groin muscles and tendons. No evidence-based treatment of this disabling condition has been found so far. Experimental surgical treatments are based on various hernioplasties. Laparoscopic extraperitoneal hernioplasty (TEP) is a mini-invasive and effective method to heal sportsman hernia in non-randomized cohorts.

Detailed Description

This prospective randomized study investigates the effect of active conservative treatment (rest, physical treatment, corticosteroid injections, anti-inflammatory analgesics) versus surgery (laparoscopic TEP) on the healing of sportsman hernia. Diagnosis of sportsman hernia is always based on careful clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging. 25 patients with sportsman hernia are randomized into conservative treatment and 25 patients in surgery. The duration of follow-up is 1 year. The main end-point of treatments is disappearing of chronic groin pain (visual analogue scale, entering to sports).

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2008-01
• Study First Submitted: 2009-08-21
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-08-26
• Study First Posted: 2009-08-27
• Primary Completion: 2010-01
• Study Completion: 2010-02
• Status Verified: 2010-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-03-07
• Last Update Posted: 2017-03-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• severe groin pain lasting > 6 months
• sportsman hernia

Exclusion Criteria

• other diagnosis ruled out by MRI and clinical examination

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
surgery	laparoscopic hernioplasty (TEP)	laparoscopic hernioplasty (TEP)
conservative treatment	laparoscopic hernioplasty (TEP)	physiotherapy

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Decrease of groin pain measured by visual analogue scale (VAS)	1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Return to sport activities	1 year

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hannu Paajanen; 🇫🇮 Mikkeli, Finland