The Groin Physiology Revisited

Abstract

The purpose is to contribute new information to the existing body of knowledge of the physiology of the groin. In a prospective ultrasonographic study, after an informed consent, 10 men and 10 women who were intact in the groin areas of surgery or relevant disease were involved. For a comparison, additional groups of 5 men and 5 women with abdominal wall hernias, but with no groin hernias, and other 5 men with inguinal hernias were included. The distal descent of the internal oblique muscle during the Valsalva’s manoeuvre in men was 0.8 cm ± 0.1 and in women it was 0.3 cm ± 0.1 (p < 0.001); the plate of transversus abdominis muscle changed its initial configurations and took on the characteristics of aponeurosis. During the Valsalva manoeuvre the rectus abdominis muscle demonstrated a distal latero-caudal shift of its lateral margin. In individuals with failed mechanics of the abdominal wall, the rectus abdominus does not realize the protective function. The mobile anatomic structures in the groin are oriented in three frontal planes. It formulated the concept of a synchronous protective function of all myofascial structures in the groin. We established that the anatomic structures transform the inguinal canal into a hermetic entity, which protects both the ingunal canal and the spermatic cord.