| Study | Type | Patients (M/F) | Primary sport | Repair | Mesh | Operative findings | Follow-up | Clinical outcomes |
| Gilmore2 | R | 1200 (1176/24) | Soccer | Open | None | Transversalis defect and separation from conjoined tendon | Not specified | 97% returned to full activity in 6 weeks |
| Meyers et al13 | P | 157 (157/0) | Soccer (46%), hockey (17%) football (13%) | Open pelvic floor repair, (reattachment of the inferolateral edge of rectus abdominis muscle with its fascial attachment to the pubis and adjacent anterior ligament. 23% also had adductor release | None | (1) Loose inguinal floor (57%); (2) external oblique aponeurosis defect (48%); (3) “thin” rectus abdominis muscle insertion (17%) | 3.9 years (range 25 to 144 months) | 96% returned to full activity in minimum of 6 months |
| Malycha & Lovell4 | P | 50 (NR) | Soccer | Open reinforcement of posterior inguinal wall in two layers using prolene suture | None | (1) Bulge of posterior inguinal wall (80%); (2) no abnormalities (14%); (3) small indirect inguinal hernia (2%); (4) lipoma of spermatic cord (2%); (5) posterior inguinal wall scarring (2%) | 6 months | 93% returned to full activity in 6–8 weeks |
| Kumar et al30 | R | 35 (34/1) | Soccer | Approximation of external oblique aponeurosis and prolene darn or Lichenstein | Yes | (1) Tear in external oblique aponeurosis with or without posterior inguinal canal wall bulge (57%); (2) posterior inguinal wall bulge (28%); (3) conjoined tendon tear with dilated superficial inguinal ring (9%); (4) small direct hernia (3%); (5) lipoma of spermatic cord with posterior inguinal wall bulge (3%) | 6 months | 93% returned to full activity in mean 14 weeks |
| Steele et al87 | R | 47 (47/0) | Soccer or rugby | Modified Bassini with mesh | Yes | Bulging of posterior inguinal wall | 6–50 months | 77% returned to full activity in 4 months |
| Hackney47 | R | 15 (14/1) | Soccer | Parainguinal approach, reconstitution of internal ring, plication of transversalis fascia | None | Weakening of transversalis fascia with separation from conjoined tendon and dilatation of the internal ring (100%), as above with a direct inguinal hernia (7%) | 18–60 months | 87% returned to full activity in 6 weeks |
| Polglase et al97 | R | 64 (62/2) | Australian Rules football | Standard Bassini and Tanner Slide or plication of transversalis fascia | None | 1) Deranged posterior wall of inguinal canal (85%); (2) splitting of conjoined tendon (26%); (3) indirect inguinal hernia (8%) | 8 months | 62.5% returned to full activity; 31% partially satisfied; 4.7% dissatisfied at minimum of 8 months post-surgery |
| Brannigan et al37 | R | 85 (NR) | Soccer | Modified Shouldice | None | 1) Separation of conjoined tendon from inguinal ligament; (2) weakened transversalis fascia | 3–21 months | 96% returned to full activity in 15 weeks |
| Williams & Foster28 | R | 6 (6/0) | Soccer (n = 4), rugby (n = 1), cricket (n = 1) | Approximate external oblique aponeurosis | None | Small external oblique aponeurosis tear at the site of emergence of the terminal branch of iliohypogastric neurovascular bundle. | 1.5 months | 100% returned to full activity in 6 weeks |
| Joesting21 | R | 45 (NR) | Not described | Modified Lichtenstein | Yes | Transversalis fascia tear | 12 months | 90% returned to full activity (time period not reported) |
| Taylor et al15 | R | 9 (7/2) | Soccer (n = 3), baseball (n = 2), runners (n = 2), basketball (n = 1), football (n = 1) | Modified Bassini | None | 1) Direct inguinal hernia (56%); (2) direct or indirect hernia (22%); (3) indirect inguinal hernia (11%); (4) avulsion of internal oblique aponeurosis from pubic tubercle (11%) | 3 months | 100% returned to full activity in approximately 12 weeks |
| Irshad et al34 | R | 22 (22/0) | Ice hockey | Approximate external oblique, ablate ilioinguinal nerve | 86% | External oblique aponeurosis tear with ilioinguinal nerve branches within the defect | 31 months | 100% returned to full activity (time period not reported) |
| Ahumada et al104 | R | 12 (11/1) | Running (n = 4), basketball (n = 3), soccer (n = 2), football (n = 2), baseball (n = 1) | Open repair with internal oblique muscle flap. Four patients also had adductor release | 75% | Nonspecific inguinal floor attenuation and cord lipomas | Median 4 months (range 2 to 13) | 100% returned to sports; 83.3% excellent, 16.7% satisfactory results at approximately 6 months |
| Simonet et al98 | R | 10 (10/0) | Ice hockey | Bassini approximation | 70% | Tears at the floor of the inguinal ring | 6 to 48 months | 100% returned to hockey with symptom improvement (time period not reported) |
| Van Der Donckt et al55 | P | 41 (41/0) | Bassini repair and percutaneous adductor tenotomy, 14 bilateral | None | Not described | Mean follow-up was 150 months (range 37 to 197) | 90% return to full activity in 6–15 months | |
| Biedert et al33 | R | 24 (24/0) | Soccer (n = 17), ice hockey (n = 3), others (n = 3) | Open, spreading of the lateral border of the sheath of the rectus abdominius and adductor release, denervation of rectus insertion | None | Not described | Mean follow-up was 6.6 years (range 1.2 to 12.3) | 96% returned to full activity in 3–4 months |
| Ziprin et al49 | R | 25 (25/0) | Rugby or Soccer (n = 19), others (n = 6) | Inguinal approach and exploration, repair of external oblique aponeurosis, neurolysis of iliohypogastric nerve | None | Single or multiple tears (1–4 cm) in the external oblique aponeurosis at the sites of perforating neurovascular bundles; occult indirect hernia in 1 patient; patent processus vaginalis in 1 patient | 20.6 months (range 7 to 56 months) | 100% returned to sports. 32% continued to have mild pain. 1 patient did not improve. Mean resumption of sports was 11.6 weeks (range 4 to 20 weeks) |
F, female; M, male; NR, not reported; P, prospective; R, retrospective.