RÉSUMÉ

Atypical groin pain (sportsman's hernia) is becoming increasingly recognized as a common condition in athletes, constituting one of the greatest challenges in sports medicine as not only a diagnostic problem but also a therapeutic problem. The cause can be one of many, including muscle imbalance, posterior wall deficiency, tearing of the transversalis muscle, and rupture of the conjoint tendon. The pathophysiology is debatable, but abnormalities in Hasselbach's triangle, with associated shearing of the abdominal wall fibers, have been found. Pain rarely affects athletes in the acute stage, and various methods can be used to help clarify a diagnosis, including a direct stress examination and an inspection of the inguinal canal. Successful management has been demonstrated through surgery and postoperative physiotherapy to help restore muscle balance and complete rehabilitation.