Does Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome Affect Self-Reported Burden in Football Players With Hip and Groin Pain?

BACKGROUND: It is unknown if football players with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome report worse burden than those with other causes of hip/groin pain, and to what extent this is mediated by cartilage defects and labral tears. HYPOTHESIS: Football players with FAI syndrome would report worse burden than other symptomatic players, with the effect partially mediated by cartilage defects and/or labral tears. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4. METHODS: Football (soccer and Australian football) players (n = 165; 35 women) with hip/groin pain (≥6 months and positive flexion-adduction-internal rotation test) were recruited. Participants completed 2 patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs; the International Hip Outcome Tool-33 [iHOT-33] and Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score [HAGOS]) and underwent hip radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). FAI syndrome was determined to be present when cam and/or pincer morphology were present. Cartilage defects and labral tears were graded as present or absent using MRI. Linear regression models investigated relationships between FAI syndrome (dichotomous independent variable) and PROM scores (dependent variables). Mediation analyses investigated the effect of cartilage defects and labral tears on these relationships. RESULTS: FAI syndrome was not related to PROM scores (unadjusted b values ranged from -4.693 (P = 0.23) to 0.337 (P = 0.93)) and cartilage defects and/or labral tears did not mediate its effect (P = 0.22-0.97). CONCLUSION: Football players with FAI syndrome did not report worse burden than those with other causes of hip/groin pain. Cartilage defects and/or labral tears did not explain the effect of FAI syndrome on reported burden. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: FAI syndrome, cartilage defects, and labral tears were prevalent but unrelated to reported burden in symptomatic football players.

MRI Assessment of Supra- and Infratrochanteric Femoral Torsion: Association With Femoroacetabular Impingement and Hip Dysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to evaluate a novel measurement technique for assessing the supra- and infratrochanteric components of femoral torsion, establish reference values in healthy volunteers, and compare supra- and infratrochanteric torsion angles in patients with hip dysplasia and patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) with those in healthy volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Femoral torsion was assessed in 380 patients and 61 healthy volunteers on MRI. For assessing supra- and infratrochanteric torsion, three measurement techniques (i.e., Kim, simplified Kim, and centroid methods) were evaluated by two readers on 100 patients. The technique with the highest interreader reliability was selected to perform measurements on all patients and volunteers. Supra- and infratrochanteric torsion angles of patients were stratified by hip disorders, which were diagnosed by specialized hip surgeons, and were compared with reference values of healthy volunteers. Statistical analysis included the independent t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: The centroid method showed the highest interreader reliability for measuring supra-and infratrochanteric torsion with an ICC of 0.979. The supra- and infratrochanteric torsion values of the volunteers were 31.5° ± 7.4° (mean ± SD) and -18.3° ± 9.9°, respectively. In comparison with the volunteers, patients with hip dysplasia had significantly higher supraand infratrochanteric torsion values of 37.5° ± 10.3° (p = 0.001) and -9.6° ± 11.7° (p < 0.001) and patients with pincer-type FAI had significantly higher supratrochanteric torsion values of 37.8° ± 8.0° (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The supra- and infratrochanteric components of femoral torsion differ substantially between hip disorders: Patients with hip dysplasia have predominantly increased infratrochanteric torsion, whereas patients with pincer-type FAI have increased supratrochanteric torsion. Quantification of separate supra- and infratrochanteric torsion angles allows a more detailed analysis of hip disorders and may influence treatment planning.

Post-operative opioid pain management patterns for patients who receive hip surgery.

BACKGROUND: Identifying optimal, post-operative opioid management strategies is a priority of health providers and government agencies. At present, there are no studies we are aware of that have formally investigated opioid prescribing patterns for post-operative non-arthroplasty orthopedic conditions such as femoroacetabular impingement, nor has any study investigated the influence of opioid prescription patterns on health care costs and utilization. We aimed to investigate a subgrouping scheme associated with post-operative opioid prescription strategies and measure the subgroups' direct and indirect health care utilization and costs in individuals undergoing non-arthroplasty orthopedic hip surgery. METHODS: The study was an observational cohort of routine military clinical practices. We used cluster analysis to characterize pre-operative (12 months) and post-operative (24 months) opioid prescription patterns. Linear mixed effects modeling (with statistical controls for baseline status) identified opioid prescription pattern subgroups and identified subgroup differences in health care utilization and costs. RESULTS: Two distinct clusters were identified representing 1) short-duration, high total days' supply (SD-HD), and 2) long-duration, lesser total days' supply (LD-LD) post-operative prescription patterns. Significantly higher costs and health care utilization for both hip-related and non-hip-related variables were consistently identified in the SD-HD group. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term opioid prescription use has been identified as a concern, but our findings demonstrate that LD-LD post-operative opioid management for hip surgery recipients was associated with lower costs and utilization. Whether these management patterns were a reflection of pre-operative health status, impacted pain-related outcomes, or can be replicated in other orthopedic procedures remains a consideration for future studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NA.

Protocol for CT in the position of discomfort: preoperative assessment of femoroacetabular impingement - how we do it and what the surgeon wants to know.

INTRODUCTION: The use of computed tomography of the hip in a position of discomfort (CT-POD) in combination with 2D and 3D surface rendering is a technique increasingly used to aid in the assessment and confirmation of femoral and acetabular bony abnormalities related to femoroacetabular impingement. The purpose of this article is to describe this dynamic method of assessment. METHODS: Patients referred by orthopaedic surgeons for assessment of femoroacetabular impingement as part of preoperative planning and patients who required postoperative assessment of residual bony abnormalities were selected. RESULTS: This article describes the CT-POD technique and the information required by the referring surgeon. CONCLUSION: CT-POD is a new technique that provides valuable preoperative and postoperative information to the surgeon.

CT assessment of asymptomatic hip joints for the background of femoroacetabular impingement morphology.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to assess the presence of cam and pincer morphology in asymptomatic individuals with a negative femoroacetabular impingement test, and to determine and compare the ranges of alpha angle using two measurement methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 68 consecutive patients who underwent abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) for reasons other than hip problems were the patient population. Patients who had a positive femoroacetabular impingement test were excluded. Alpha angle measurements from axial oblique (AN) and radial reformat-based images (AR) from the anterior through the superior portion of the femoral head-neck junction, as well as femoral head-neck offset, center-edge angle, acetabular version angle measurements, and acetabular crossover sign assessment, were made. RESULTS: Overall prevalences of cam (increased alpha angle, decreased femoral head-neck offset) and pincer morphology (increased center-edge angle, decreased acetabular version) were 20.0%, 26.8%, 25.8%, and 10.2% of the hips, respectively. The mean AR ranged from 41.64° ± 4.23° to 48.13° ± 4.63°, whereas AN was 41.10° ± 4.44°. The values of AR were higher than AN, and the difference was statistically significant (P <0.001). The highest AR values were measured on images from the anterosuperior section of femoral head-neck junction. CONCLUSION: In asymptomatic subjects, higher alpha angle values were obtained from radial reformatted images, specifically from the anterosuperior portion of the femoral head-neck junction compared with the axial oblique CT images. Other measurements used for the assessment of cam and pincer morphology can also be beyond the ranges that are considered normal in the general population.

Can the alpha angle assessment of cam impingement predict acetabular cartilage delamination?

BACKGROUND: Substantial acetabular cartilage damage is commonly present in patients suffering from femoral acetabular impingement (FAI). A better understanding of which patient is at risk of developing substantial cartilage damage is critical for establishing appropriate treatment guidelines. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We asked: (1) Does the cam deformity severity in FAI as assessed by alpha angle predict acetabular cartilage delamination? And (2) what are the clinical and radiographic findings in patients with acetabular cartilage delamination? METHODS: One hundred sixty-seven patients (129 males, 38 females) with a mean age of 38 years (range, 17-59 years) underwent joint preservation surgery for cam-type FAI. All data were collected prospectively. We assessed center-edge angle and Tönnis grade on AP radiographs and alpha angle on specialized lateral radiographs. Acetabular cartilage damage was assessed intraoperatively using the classification of Beck et al., with Type 3 and greater qualifying as delamination. RESULTS: For all hips, mean alpha angle was 65.5° (range, 41°-90°), and mean center-edge angle was 33.3° (range, 21°-52.5°). Patients with an alpha angle of 65° or greater had an odds ratio (OR) of 4.00 (95% CI, 1.26-12.71) of having Type 3 or greater damage. Increased age (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07) and male sex (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.09-4.62) were associated with Type 3 or greater damage, while this was the opposite for acetabular coverage as assessed by center-edge angle (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cam-type FAI and an alpha angle of 65° or more are at increased risk of substantial cartilage damage while increasing acetabular coverage appears to have a protective effect. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, prognostic study. See the Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Reliability and predictability of the centre-edge angle in the assessment of pincer femoroacetabular impingement.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to assess the use of the centre-edge (CE) angle in the assessment of pincer femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI) for reliability and predictability in the diagnosis. METHODS: Between 2004 and 2008, 55 patients underwent surgical treatment for FAI. A control group of 30 was identified among patients attending the emergency department with normal radiographs. Radiographs were assessed by two independent observers both before and after the operation. Nine patients with trauma were excluded. The magnetic resonance arthrogram reports of the remaining 46 patients were assessed for pincer FAI. Nineteen patients were identified and underwent repeat radiographic assessment. All underwent surgical dislocation of hip (SDH), acetabular, with/without femoral osteochondroplasty. Acetabular depth and version were also assessed. The intraclass correlation (ICC) was used to assess reliability of the CE angle. The paired t test and independent groups t test were used to assess the difference between the pincer FAI group, both pre-op and post-op and against controls. RESULTS: The control and pincer groups were similar in demographics (p=0.1769). Coxa profunda was present in 14 patients with eight also having retroverted acetabuli. Of the rest two had retroverted acetabuli and one protrusio. The mean CE angle in the control group was 31.4°, in the pre-op pincer group 46.2° and in the post-op pincer group 38.3°. The ICC for intra-observer correlation was 0.977 and 0.992 pre-op and 0.986 and 0.974 post-op. The ICC for inter-observer correlation was 0.960 and 0.957 pre-op and 0.979 and 0.967 post-op.The p value was <0.001 between the controls, the pre-op and post-op pincer groups. The test characteristics using the CE angle ≥ 40 is a reasonably good predictor of FAI, with a sensitivity of 84.2% and a specificity of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The pincer FAI can be reliably assessed with the CE angle and can be predicted in patients presenting with FAI.