Possible groin attack made the news Thursday in the Detroit Lions-Houston Texans Thanksgiving Day matchup. In the first quarter, during a pass rush at about 7 minutes to play, Houston's right tackle Derek Newton downed Detroit's defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. On his way to the ground, Suh struck Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin with his left foot. Some viewed the kick as a deliberate second motion. You can review the play on NFL Video here.
Anatomy of groin injury
In both men and women, the rich supply of blood and nerves in the groin makes it one of the most sensitive parts of the body, in a good way, or not. The male scrotum has almost no protecting tissue, muscle, or bone.
There's a reason why "low blows" and "cheap shots" are illegal in many contact sports. As well as causing excruciating pain in the affected area, a groin kick quickly radiates up a man's nerves into the abdomen and causes the sufferer to instantly double up in intense pain, feel giddy, and even vomit sometimes.
Action scenes in Batman and Mortal Kombat, cartoons, video games like Scunsion's "Kick People in the Balls," and literally hundreds of America's Funniest and YouTube videos portray groin attacks as brave or humorous, and as easily recoverable. German urologist Christof van der Horst, an often-cited expert in male genital injury diagnosis and treatment, does not agree.
"Because of the high risk of infection and the major importance of preserving fertility" and ability to maintain an erection, van der Horst says, "male genital injuries represent a serious urological disorder that demands immediate urological treatment.... taking a history and inspecting the wound" in order to determine whether conservative treatment, further exploration, or surgery will be necessary.
Most blunt traumas to the male genitals are minor, as Matt Schaub's apparently was. After examination, injured patients usually require only scrotal elevation or cooling. Open injuries usually need surgical exploration, and swelling, bruising, or internal bleeding (hematoma) call for further diagnostics via ultrasound. A tear in the testicle can be repaired, but if groin attack ruptures the testicle, it may have to be removed.
Ndamukong Suh, the 6-foot-4, 307-pound Detroit Lions tackle who landed a kick on Texans QB Matt Schaub's private parts, was an All-American from Nebraska, Heisman finalist, and Associated Press National Player of the Year before being drafted by the Lions in 2010. Suh has signed endorsement deals with Nike, Subway, Dick's Sporting Goods, Omaha Steaks, and Chrysler. Two years running, he has been voted "the dirtiest player" in the NFL.
Suh has been fined in the past for roughing up quarterbacks Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears, Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Jake Delhomme of the Cleveland Browns. Last Thanksgiving, Suh was ejected during a game with the Green Bay Packers and suspended two games after pushing pushed offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith's head into the ground three times, then stomping on his arm.
The Washington Post describes Suh's flick of the toes as "crumpling" the Houston Texans’ star quarterback. However, Schaub recovered fairly quickly, continued to play, and went on to lead the Texans in a great fourth-quarter comeback. They are now 10-1 for the season.
A triple-sport high school letterman from West Chester, Pennsylvania, Matt Schaub played college ball at Virginia and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. In March 2007, Schaub went from the Falcons to the Houston Texans. He holds nearly every passing record in the Texans' 10-year franchise history. Schaub had no comment on Suh's apparently illegal play in the Lions game except to tell reporters after the game, “I don’t really have anything to say about that play or that person.”
NFL will rule on suspect kick
Ray Anderson, NFL executive vice president, said yesterday on NFL.com that the league will investigate the controversial play and consider disciplinary action in the coming week. “Certainly that will be one that will be reviewed.... It drew our attention,” Anderson said.
Chicago-based science writer Sandy Dechert recently covered as the national healthcare debate ("Obamacare") and the medical implications of the 2012 elections. She also closely followed the U.S. meningitis outbreak and health issues at the summer Olympics. Access these and previous reports on Sandy's health page.
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