British contributions to modern herniology of the groin.

Traditional disdain for groin repair stifled recognition of British innovations. Some, relating to modern herniology, are remembered herein. Morton (1841) and Mackay (1889) showed the epigastric artery piercing Cooper's transversalis fascia (1807). Bilaminarity (Cooper, 1807) was confirmed in 1992 (Read). Thomson's iliopubic tract (1838) became part of Nyhus' repair (1960) [derived from McEvedy's repair (1950)] and laparoscopy (Ger, 1982). Retzius' space (Edinburgh, 1858) with Lister's antisepsis (1865) enabled preperitoneal herniorrhaphy (Annandale, 1876). He participated (1873) in intraperitoneal release of incarceration and reducible protrusions (Tait 1883). Cheyne's pectineus muscle plug (1893) preceded Kelly's marble prosthesis for femoral herniation (1898). Cheatle (1920) introduced posterior preperitoneal repair-ignored, rediscovered (Henry, 1936), and adopted (1952) at the Mayo clinic. Calne (1967) pioneered retrorectus Mersilene and was followed by Stoppa (1969) and Wantz (1989). Brandon (1945) blamed failure of modified Bassini's herniorrhaphies on closure at the intermediate inguinal ring instead of the internal. A similar mechanism may explain interstitial recurrence (Gilbert, 2003) after Amid-Lichtenstein repair. Lytle (1896-1986) described a muscle shutter at the internal ring, course of genitofemoral nerve, and orifice of femoral canal. Russell's congenital saccular theory (1906) was questioned by Keith (1924). Acquired connective-tissue pathology was later shown to play a systematic role in adult groin herniation (Read, 1970), confirmed by Jackson and colleagues (1996) and others.