Study Finds No Significant Link Between Limb Dominance and Hernia Laterality

A multicenter exploratory observational study has found no statistically significant association between hand or foot dominance and the anatomical side where adult inguinal hernias first develop.

The study was established to examine a persistent question in hernia etiology regarding the potential role of asymmetrical limb use. The investigators hypothesized that habitual and asymmetrical use of the body could generate uneven intra-abdominal pressure distributions, which might theoretically influence the laterality of inguinal hernia formation. Although inguinal hernia is known to be associated with various clinical risk factors, the specific biomechanical contribution of handedness or footedness has remained unresolved in surgical literature.

To evaluate this potential relationship, researchers conducted a retrospective review of 186 adult patients who underwent inguinal hernia surgery between July 2023 and February 2025. The clinical cohort was drawn from two medical centers, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital and Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital. Patients with congenital hernias were excluded from the study.

The demographic profile of the analyzed cohort showed a mean patient age of 65.9 years, with male patients comprising 94.1 percent of the total surgical population. Baseline assessments revealed that at the time of enrollment, left-sided hernias accounted for 35.5 percent of cases, whereas right-sided hernias represented 48.9 percent. When evaluating the earliest recorded hernia diagnosis, left-sided presentations were documented in 40.9 percent of participants, while right-sided presentations accounted for 54.3 percent.

Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire designed to assess general hand and foot dominance alongside task-specific limb preferences. Based on these evaluations, 88.7 percent of the patients were identified as right-handed, and 71.5 percent were identified as right-footed. The researchers noted significant correlations between overall hand dominance and task-specific hand preference across surveyed actions, with probability values ranging from p = 0.026 to p < 0.001. Similarly, overall foot dominance was significantly associated with task-specific foot preference at p < 0.001.

Despite the strong concordance between limb dominance and specific physical task preferences, statistical evaluations showed no significant correlation between limb dominance and the earliest side of hernia occurrence. For hand dominance, the analysis yielded an odds ratio of 1.89, with a 95 percent confidence interval spanning from 0.41 to 8.72 and a p-value of 0.416. For foot dominance, the analysis demonstrated an odds ratio of 0.46, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 0.15 to 1.36 and a p-value of 0.159. Subsequent subgroup analyses stratified by patient sex, hernia type, and age cohorts also identified no statistically significant associations.

The authors concluded that current observational evidence does not support an association between hand or foot dominance and the initial laterality of adult inguinal hernias. Nevertheless, the researchers emphasized that the limited sample size of the study cannot completely rule out the possibility of a smaller, clinically meaningful effect. They noted that further studies with larger and more diverse populations, incorporating objective assessments of physical activity and biomechanical modeling, are needed to clarify this relationship.

Subject of Research: Association between limb dominance and adult inguinal hernia laterality

Article Title: Limb dominance and the laterality of adult inguinal hernia: a multicenter exploratory observational study

Article References: Park, G., Yun, J., Cho, I., Song, G., Kuk, J., Lee, C., Choi, Y. Y., & Son, M. (2026). Limb dominance and the laterality of adult inguinal hernia: a multicenter exploratory observational study. BMC Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12893-026-04288-y

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12893-026-04288-y

Keywords: inguinal hernia, limb dominance, hernia laterality, hand dominance, foot dominance, general surgery, observational study, intra-abdominal pressure, Limb, dominance, laterality, adult