Diagnosis and treatment of sportsman's hernia.

A sportman's hernia is an injury common to athletes and other physically active people. It is unique because the injury is not identifiable on physical exam or imaging. The specific injury is a tear in the transversalis fascia. A sportman's hernia presents as chronic groin pain that flares with activity and does not hurt during periods of inactivity. Optimal treatment is an open hernia repair using mesh, performed as an outpatient procedure with local anesthesia and sedation.