Introduction to inguinal hernias
Hernias have been described and studied in the medical literature from as early as 1700 BC through to Galen in around 200BC who proposed that a hernia was a rupture of the peritoneum. However it was Edoardo Bassini in the 1880s who developed a surgical technique for inguinal hernia repairs and who importantly discovered the significance of the transversalis fascia in their pathophysiology. Many significant anatomists such as Petrus Camper in 1801 and Antonio Scarpa in 1812 contributed further to the understanding of such hernias with the 20th and 21st centuries seeing further advances in their surgical repair.
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However, although significant research has been carried out, the eitiology of inguinal hernias has not yet been defined although it is likely that their cause is multifactorial.
An appreciation and grasp of the anatomy of the antero-inferior abdominal wall is fundamental in understanding the etiology, classification and repair of inguinal hernias. However, it is also important to have an understanding and appreciation of the embryological development of the inguinal canal and its associated structures to understand their manifestation and their subsequent surgical repair. |