Femoroacetabular Impingement: What the Surgeon Wants to Know

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Radiology
• Hip Biomechanics

Background:

• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a significant risk factor for premature hip degeneration in young, active populations.
• Diagnosis requires careful clinical assessment and advanced imaging to identify subtle bony abnormalities.
• Labral tears and cartilage damage in the hip often indicate underlying structural bone issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review essential information radiologists must provide orthopaedic surgeons for diagnosing hip abnormalities.
• To guide the rational surgical approach for painful hips stemming from mechanical abnormalities.
• To address the lack of consensus on standard imaging for FAI morphology.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review on FAI diagnosis and hip morphology.
• Analysis of imaging techniques for detecting subtle hip abnormalities.
• Synthesis of radiologist-provided information crucial for surgical planning.

Main Results:

• FAI diagnosis relies on identifying specific morphological variations of the hip joint.
• Adequate imaging is critical for characterizing hip abnormalities and planning treatment.
• Understanding bony variations is essential for surgical decision-making in FAI.

Conclusions:

• Accurate imaging interpretation is vital for diagnosing FAI and planning effective hip surgery.
• Collaboration between radiologists and orthopaedic surgeons ensures optimal patient management for hip pain.
• Standardized imaging criteria for FAI morphology are needed to improve surgical consistency.