Could a tennis ball to the groin cause a permanent injury?”
Generally speaking, most blunt force groin injuries (as is the case with a tennis ball impact) are temporary and minor in nature. However, in some rare fluke cases, serious injury can result. For example, an older male took a tennis ball to the groin, and as a result it was discovered months later that his femoral artery (in the thigh, near the groin) had become occluded (blocked) due to the injury. He required surgery. And if his clever doctors hadn’t discovered the rare injury effect, it could’ve been life-threatening. Alternately, particularly dumb individuals who take tennis balls to the groin regularly may develop Osteitis Pubis (or “O.P.”), a sports injury that causes chronic pubic pain and sclerosis. Let’s hope that tennis players out there figure out to buy a cup long before that happens though…
