Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)

The hip is a ball and socket joint which means it is one of the most mobile joints in your body.

Sometimes, either caused by genetic or athletic factors, you can get boney overgrowths on the head of your femur or around the socket of your hip. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) often has an insidious onset which means that the pain starts gradually and slowly becomes more intense over time. The cause of the impingement is usually unknown, but the pain typically begins as a dull ache or stiffness in the front of the hip. Some other common symptoms of hip impingement include popping or clicking in the joint, sharp pain when flexing the hip, as well as pain on the outside of the hip that may radiate into the lower back or buttocks. There are two main types of (FAI), the Cam impingement and Pincer impingement. Cam Impingement is when there is a bony overgrowth on the femoral neck. A Cam Impingement can happen when the bone known as the femoral head is misshapen and this can cause overgrown bone at the top and front of the femur head. This overgrown bone can make contact with the cartilage that lines the inside of the hip socket and cause the acetabular labrum to wear away. A Cam Impingement is most commonly found in athletes, but it can be asymptomatic or symptomatic in non-athletes as well. A Pincer Impingement can happen when the head of the femur has too much coverage from the hip socket. This type of impingement is caused by an acetabulum that is deeper than normal or has excessive bony coverage on its upper or outer rim. Pain is often felt at the end range of motion of hip flexion because this is where the bony overgrowth pinches the labrum. It is also possible to have a combined type of impingement which means you have both Cam and Pincer at the same time. Conservative interventions such as stretching or strengthening the hip are effective in reducing pain and improving function for people with femoroacetabular impingement, which is what Recovery Day is working on with our patient!

References
Hip Anatomy. Accessed September 8, 2021. https://www.baycare.net/media/2534/patient-handout-fai-edit.pdf

CONSERVATIVE MANAGEMENT for FEMOROACETABULAR IMPINGEMENT (FAI). http://fowlerkennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CONSERVATIVE-MANAGEMENT-FOR-FEMOROACETABULAR-IMPINGEMENT-FAI-November-2015.pdf

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