This current concepts review by Byrd covers the pathomechanics, clinical assessment, imaging workup, and operative management of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in athletes. It addresses how to distinguish pincer, cam, and combined morphologies; how to avoid misdiagnosis; and what surgical outcomes look like across open, mini-open, and arthroscopic approaches.
When a young male athlete presents with groin pain, diminished internal rotation, and a positive anterior impingement test after months of failed treatment for 'groin strain,' think FAI — cam morphology with labral and chondral damage is the likely culprit and warrants AP pelvis plus lateral radiographs, high-resolution MRI or MRA, and consideration of diagnostic intra-articular injection to confirm the joint as the pain generator before proceeding to arthroscopy.
This current concepts review by Byrd covers the pathomechanics, clinical assessment, imaging workup, and operative management of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in athletes. It addresses how to distinguish pincer, cam, and combined morphologies; how to avoid misdiagnosis; and what surgical outcomes look like across open, mini-open, and arthroscopic approaches.
When a young male athlete presents with groin pain, diminished internal rotation, and a positive anterior impingement test after months of failed treatment for 'groin strain,' think FAI — cam morphology with labral and chondral damage is the likely culprit and warrants AP pelvis plus lateral radiographs, high-resolution MRI or MRA, and consideration of diagnostic intra-articular injection to confirm the joint as the pain generator before proceeding to arthroscopy.