Return to Play After Femoroacetabular Impingement

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) involves abnormal hip joint contact causing chondrolabral damage.
• Current FAI treatments include surgery with rehabilitation or physical therapy, sometimes with corticosteroid injections.
• Effective rehabilitation is crucial for successful FAI treatment outcomes, whether surgical or nonoperative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent literature on nonoperative and postoperative rehabilitation protocols for FAI.
• To examine return to play strategies for patients with FAI.
• To describe a current clinical approach to FAI rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on FAI rehabilitation and return to play.
• Analysis of standardized rehabilitation protocols developed through consensus.
• Comparison of different treatment options in high-level evidence trials.

Main Results:

• Historically, FAI rehabilitation and return to play protocols relied on expert opinion and limited evidence.
• Standardized protocols have been developed, showing excellent results in nonoperative and post-surgical FAI treatment.
• Despite positive outcomes, significant variability exists among current rehabilitation protocols.

Conclusions:

• High-level evidence studies are necessary to establish a gold standard for FAI rehabilitation and return to play protocols.
• Further research is needed to optimize and standardize FAI treatment strategies.
• Standardization will allow for better comparison and improvement of rehabilitation interventions for FAI patients.