WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

THERE are the usual surgical risks, such as infection.

THERE is a risk that the sciatic nerve, which supplies the hamstring, is damaged, causing nerve pain.

COMMENTING on the procedure, Chris Wilson, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at University Hospital of Wales, says: ‘This injury, where the tendons are torn away from the pelvis, is best treated surgically as the muscles will function far better, and done as soon as possible.

‘Late repairs are a challenge, as the tissues are scarred — often involving the sciatic nerve — and the hamstrings often shortened, meaning surgery is more difficult, although the risk of complications is still small.’