Core Muscle Repair — (Sports Hernia)

Massachusetts General Hospital · MGH Sports Medicine

Weight-Bearing

WBAT; walking 15 min 2x/day Phase I; avoid activities increasing intra-abdominal pressure (Valsalva) Phases I-III

Key Restrictions

Avoid lifting and activities increasing intra-abdominal pressure (Valsalva) Phases I-III; no eccentric adductor loading until Phase IV (wk 6-8); hip index <20% required before return to jogging

Timeline & Phases

6 phases: Phase I (0-1 wk, incision mob, quad/glute sets, ankle pumps, walking 15 min 2x/day), Phase II (2-3 wks, adductor isometrics, TrA/quadruped/bridge progressions, SLR, walking 30 min), Phase III (4-5 wks, PRE concentric hip, plank progressions, 4-way hip strengthening, elliptical), Phase IV (6-8 wks, Copenhagen adduction progressions, return-to-jog program, hip index <20%), Phase V (9-12 wks, plyometrics/agility/sprinting — hip index ≥90%; hop testing ≥90%; HAGOS >90%), Phase VI (3 months, non-contact → full practice → full play)

Notes

Revised 12/2021; surgical sports hernia/core muscle repair; progression mirrors non-operative athletic pubalgia protocol but time-based; RTS criteria: hip index ≥90%, adductor/abductor ratio >80%, hop testing ≥90%, HAGOS >90%; unrestricted RTS at 3 months. [Archived copy — original Massachusetts General Hospital URL retired in the Mass General Brigham site migration; Wayback snapshot 2026-08-06.]

Surgeon / Author

MGH Sports Medicine

Published

December 2021