Hip Impingement
What is it?
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Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome (FAI) is caused by structural differences of the femur (ball) and/or acetabulum (socket) of the hip joint.
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Types include: - Cam; the “ball” part of the hip is not perfectly round. - Pincer; the “socket” part of the hip covers too much of the “ball”
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More commonly seen in sports where the hip is flexed and internally rotated e.g. hockey, tennis, football and horse riding.
Typical Symptoms/features:
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Gradual onset.
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Deep aching in the groin.
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Pain gradually worsens after activity.
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Pain with movements where the hip is maximally flexed and/or internally rotated.
Management:
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Activity modification
- When you first start noticing hip pain, it may help to reduce your activity for a short amount of time to allow the pain to settle.
- However, there is strong evidence that says keeping active and slowly returning to your normal levels of activity can actually help the pain to settle quicker.
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Ice or heat
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Pain relief
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Physiotherapy including range of movement exercises and a graded strengthening programme.
Do I need imaging?
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An X-ray should show any bony deformity; however, imaging is not needed to begin physiotherapy treatment as it will likely not change the initial management strategy.
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An MRI may be useful if symptoms are not improving with conservative measures beyond 3-6 months.
