Ankle injury unveils sports hernia in Suryakumar Yadav: Know causes, symptoms, treatment and recovery

Learn about the causes, symptoms, warning signs, treatment and recovery of sports hernia as cricketer Suryakumar Yadav prepares for surgery in Germany

A source within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that Suryakumar Yadav will travel to Germany for sports hernia surgery in the coming days while the Indian cricketer is currently recovering at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Ruled out of the T20I squad against Afghanistan due to a sports hernia, Suryakumar's condition was revealed after an ankle injury during the South Africa T20I series and the health setback has now shed light on the impact of such injuries in cricket and raised awareness on the intricacies of sports hernia, its prevalence in the sport and how athletes navigate treatment and recovery.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Somyaa Khuller, Consultant - General Surgery at Sakra World Hospital, revealed, “A sports hernia, or athletic pubalgia is a pain syndrome of the lower abdomen and groin. It usually results from damage to a muscle or tendon in the lower abdomen or groin due to a strain or tear in soft tissue, such as muscles, tendons, or ligaments. The condition is often triggered by repetitive and forceful pelvic twisting, commonly seen in sports like football, hockey, soccer, skiing and ice skating. It can rarely occur in people who do not do sports too.”

Highlighting that the signs and symptoms include chronic pain and severe abdominal discomfort, particularly in the groin area, she shared, “It is most often misdiagnosed as an inguinal hernia and a clinical evaluation and proper investigation is a must before planning treatment. The recovery time for a sports hernia varies based on the injury's severity, exact location and treatment approach. Mild cases may heal in approximately 8 weeks through adequate rest and physical therapy( which plays a very important part in the rehabilitation) while more severe instances or those requiring surgery may necessitate a longer recovery period, typically ranging from 6 to 12 weeks.”