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Inguinal hernia and a single strenuous event
G D Smith1, D L Crosby, P A Lewis
1Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Most inguinal hernias are not caused by a single muscular strain. This study suggests guidelines for assessing industrial injury claims related to hernias, highlighting the complexity of determining causation.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Surgical Outcomes
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Inguinal hernias are common surgical conditions.
- Determining the cause of inguinal hernias, particularly in relation to occupational strain, can be challenging for industrial injury claims.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the subjective attribution of inguinal hernias to single muscular strain events.
- To propose guidelines for assessing the 'cause' in industrial injury claims for patients with inguinal hernias.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 129 consecutive patients with 145 inguinal hernias.
- Subjective assessment of hernia causation based on patient-reported single muscular strain events.
Main Results:
- Only 7% of inguinal hernias were subjectively attributed by patients to a single muscular strain.
- The majority of inguinal hernias were not linked to a specific, isolated incident of muscular strain.
Conclusions:
- A single muscular strain is an infrequent cause of inguinal hernias.
- Established guidelines are needed to objectively assess causation in industrial injury claims for inguinal hernias.