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Updated: Oct 23, 2025
An Inertial Measurement Unit Based Method to Estimate Hip and Knee Joint Kinematics in Team Sport Athletes on the Field
Published on: May 26, 2020
Does the Type of Sport Influence Morphology of the Hip? A Systematic Review
Chantelle Doran1, Matthew Pettit1, Yash Singh1
1University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Background:
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has been extensively investigated and is strongly associated with athletic participation.
Purpose:
To assess (1) the prevalence of cam-type FAI across various sports; (2) whether kinematic variation among sports influences hip morphology; and (3) whether performance level, duration, and frequency of participation or other factors influence hip morphology in a sporting population.
Study Design:
Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.
Methods:
A systematic search of Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library was undertaken following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Prospective and retrospective case series, case reports, and review articles published after 1999 were screened, and those that met the inclusion criteria decided a priori were included for analysis.
Results:
The literature search identified 58 relevant articles involving 5683 participants. A total of 49 articles described a higher prevalence of FAI across various "hip-heavy" sports, including soccer, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, skiing, golf, and ballet. In studies including nonathlete controls, a greater prevalence of FAI was reported in 66.7% of studies (n = 8/12). The highest alpha angle was identified at the 1-o'clock position (n = 9/9) in football, skiing, golf, ice hockey, and basketball. The maximum alpha angle was located in a more lateral position in goalkeepers versus positional players in ice hockey (1 vs 1:45 o'clock). A positive correlation was also identified between the alpha angle and both age and activity level (n = 5/8 and n = 2/3, respectively) and between prevalence of FAI and both age and activity level (n = 2/2 and n = 4/5).
Conclusion:
Hip-heavy sports show an increased prevalence of FAI, with specific sporting activities influencing hip morphology. There is some evidence to suggest that a longer duration and higher level of training also result in an increased prevalence of FAI.
Registration:
CRD4202018001 (PROSPERO).
