10-year results of the Nesovic procedure combined with adductor release for groin pain in 33 competitive athletes

Abstract

The authors present a 10-year review of the postoperative bilateral release of the adductor brevis and gracilis muscles combined with a bilateral abdominal myo-fascio-plasty according to Nesovic for groin pain in competitive athletes.

We present the 10 years results of 33 patients operated on between April 2002 and May 2006 diagnosed with a “sports hernia”. The injury was treated with a bilateral abdominal procedure according to Nesovic combined with a bilateral adductor release after unsuccessful conservative treatment of at least 2 months. There were 32 male patients between 18 and 43 years and one female patient aged 25 years with a mean age of 28.8 at time of surgery. All procedures were bilateral. Patients were seen in the postoperative clinic and a questionnaire was collected after 2 years and 10 years.

Within 16 weeks, 30 patients (90,9 %) returned to the same or a higher level of sports activities. 10 years after surgery 31 patients (93,9%) remained free of pain. 1 patient has minor pain after training (VAS 0-1) and only 1 patient still experiences pain (VAS ≥ 5) after heavy work. 13 patients (39,3%) are still performing sports today, and 19 of 20 patients (95%, 57% of total cohort) were pain free to the end of their sporting careers.

The bilateral Nesovic procedure with bilateral adductor release has a high success rate for the competitive athlete with chronic groin pain. It also is a procedure that gave most athletes suffering from a certain type of groin pain a solution till the end of their sporting careers.