FAI Corrective Surgery
The hip is a ball (femoral head) and socket (acetabulum) joint, which allows for motion in nearly all directions. In FAI, or hip impingement, this structure is altered in a way that creates abnormal motion and too much friction at the hip joint. Consequently, patients experience pain and loss of motion, and there is gradual damage to the articular cartilage or labral cartilage of the hip. Femoral Acetabular Impingement is a primary cause of early osteoarthritis of the hip in active adults between 20 and 40 years old.
At Ortho Sport & Spine Physicians, we have sports medicine specialists who are known for FAI Treatment expertise as well as treating other hip injuries. As orthopedic surgeons with extensive training and reputable experience in hip arthroscopy, you can trust them to implement the most advanced, minimally invasive treatment methods available to help you regain full strength and mobility in your hip.
Before recommending FAI corrective surgery, we will take x-rays and carefully access your symptoms, which can include decreased range of motion, groin pain, low back pain or mechanical symptoms such as catching or clicking. We will then determine which of the two main types of FAI that you are suffering from. The two basic mechanisms of FAI are cam impingement (most common in young athletic males) and pincer impingement (most common in middle-aged women). Cam impingement occurs when the ball of the hip joint is not perfectly round. Pincer impingement occurs when the socket of the hip overhangs and impinges or presses against the ball. In both situations, it leads to labral tears, cartilage damage and persistent hip pain. Bone abnormalities are extremely common in patients with labral tears, which highlights the close association between labral tears and FAI.
Hip Impingement Treatment
If you are an athlete who experiences groin pain during or after sports such as football, soccer, martial arts, tennis, golf or baseball, Ortho Sport & Spine Physicians can provide the effective and minimally invasive treatment solutions you deserve.
The treatment of hip impingement is typically based on the severity of your FAI condition and how much arthritis is present in the hip joint. While severe arthritis may indicate a joint replacement, many FAI patients have early arthritis and bone spurs that can be successfully treated arthroscopically. Advanced technology allows the bones to be recontoured with only small incisions, recreating a normal joint surface and improving symptoms and flexibility. During this procedure, we can remove excess bone and repair the labrum if necessary. This arthroscopic approach involves less pain, less scarring and faster recovery for patients with FAI, including professional athletes. Depending on the patient, it typically takes about 3 to 6 months to return to a high-functioning lifestyle.
Because treatment of FAI is very specialized, it is important that you see a sports medicine specialist who is experienced in hip arthroscopy and the treatment of athletic hip injuries. To learn more about hip arthroscopy for FAI or other conditions that affect the hip please, contact Ortho Sport & Spine Physicians today.