h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Andy Murray has yet another of his groin strains they said, after losing his first match at the O2.

And you are forever hearing of footie players having a groin..or needing a groin operation.

You never hear of women sports people having a groin..and will be out for a few weeks.

Why are males so prone to groins and not females?

You'd think as the hunters in a hunter/gatherer society, involving lots of running I should imagine, that men shouldn't be so prone..

There's a structural weakness so your bollocks can descend, I think.

I don't think it is just groin strains - just about every part of footballer's leg can be strained, as they are pushing those muscles to the limit. I think you just notice it when it is the groin.

As Carl Sagan noted in his 'Baloney Detection Kit' we are all prone to 'observational selection bias' - counting the hits whilst forgetting the Missus

Found this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indirect_inguinal_hernia

It's quite anatomical as you'd expect..

A short snippet.

'...In the female, groin hernias are only 4% as common as in males. Indirect inguinal hernia is still the most common groin hernia for females. If a woman has an indirect inguinal hernia, her internal inguinal ring is patent, which is abnormal for females. The protrusion of peritoneum is not called "processus vaginalis" in women, as this structure is related to the migration of the testicle to the scrotum..'


Dr. Zen might drop by hopefully at some point..

A hernia is enitrely different to the kinds of strains that sports people have.

So when it's said, 'Stevie Gerard is on a groin.' What's being meant?

You hear this all the time on 5live.

And so is there no difference between men and women's propensity for this?

Be great if a scientist medic turned up here.

I'm none the wiser as to the answer to the question..or even if it is framed sensibly.

Thank goodness I read this...when I first saw the subject line, I would have sworn it said 'groin stains'. And, no, I have no clue why, but I'm sure it has to do with basic architecture.

Men are more prone to macho posturing which often involved unusual use of the groin?

I should imagine that it has a lot to do with the way athletes move and put the muscles and tendons in that area under sometimes extreme stresses.

The muscles in the groin pull the leg into the midline and forwards, raising the knee. In high impact sports where there is a lot of running and sudden changes of direction at speed muscles, ligaments and tendons are put under extreme forces which can lead to trauma.

Going back to six7s Carl Sagan point the connection between Murray and groin strain only relates to his own case. He has suffered them in the past and is more prone to them. Same applies to footballers and all the injuries they suffer - groin strain, hamstring, knee ligaments, foot fractures and so on.

As for prevalence in men I can only suggest that more men play high impact sports and do so closer to the physical limits. In addition more mens sport is reported than womens.

Oh and back to six7s again "counting the hits whilst forgetting the Missus". Never forget the missus. Otherwise groin strain is likely .

t.

I meant to add this - http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/hip_groin/a/hip2.htm

t.

How many top flight women footballers do you hear about regularly, let alone hear about when they are injured? It *might* be that men are more prone to it but I suspect it is more that you hear about sportsmen far more often than sportswomen.

But why are you imagining Turvey?

I assumed this area of the site, which I haven't posted a question to in around 4 years, wouldn't be about guesswork and imaginning.

It' Science Explained'.

I'm a biology grad..though no studying of human anatomy and physiology academically.

I could have put this in ASK if I wanted these kind of responses.

What's the point of calling something 'Science Explained'?

Are there so few people here on this site that are qualified to answer a fairly simple question?

I doubt I'll bother coming back with any new questions to this area of the site for another 4 years.

It would make much more sense to just put it in ASK next time. It feels just like ASK here.

Modesty!

I'm not a sports scientist or a physicist so I can't give you a definitive answer or the equations of motion and force related to the matter. I am, however a qualified nurse and have studied nursing to degree level (many years ago it has to be said) which included Anatomy and Physiology and I was trying to shed some light on the subject.

Science Explained has been quiet of late and there may not be anybody around to answer your question in the expert way you seem to require.

t.

I'll look this up when I get the chance...

Better make sure you include references!

Of course..... (I will actually)...

Dr. Zen.

No rush I know it's probably not top priority.

I am curious about it. But I'm happy to wait a while and get a trained medic's take.

You ought to get a few colleagues in here to h2g2.

It's not really fair on you to be the only medic doctor here.

At least this one stands a chance of having someone qualified to answer. The number of questions you get here about high level quantum or nuclear physics is very high - the number of actual experts who are *really* qualified to answer is very close to zero I suspect.