Femoroacetabular impingement

Femoroacetabular impingement

Femoroacetabular impingement is a condition that occurs due to the development of bony protrusions in the femoral head, in the joint socket, or in both. Due to these bony protrusions, the normal shape of the joint changes and the bones rub against each other with movement, causing pain and limitation in the movement of the joint and the joint loses its natural smooth movement. The development of these bony protrusions in the hip joint may occur for several reasons such as genetic factors, excessive stress on the joint, roughness of the hip joint, and erosion of the hip joint cartilage.

Sports are not a cause of this disease

Symptoms and diagnosis

The most common symptoms of femoroacetabular impingement are pain, joint stiffness, and limping. The condition is diagnosed through:

Clinical examination: The patient lies on his back, and the doctor raises the knee towards the patient's chest, then performs an external rotation movement where the knee joint turns towards the opposite shoulder joint. If the patient feels pain from this movement, this is a positive sign of the presence of femoroacetabular impingement.

Clinical examination of femoroacetabular impingement

Radiological examination: X-ray images provide good clarity regarding the presence of bony protrusions and growths in the joint, and also show the degree of roughness of the hip joint in the event of cartilage erosion. CT scans or 3D CT scans may be used to show the excess shape in the bone more accurately and in three dimensions. Or magnetic resonance imaging may be used to form a better picture of the position of the cartilaginous surface of the hip or the labrum of the acetabular cavity of the hip joint.

Diagnosis of femoroacetabular impingement

Treatment

Conservative (non-surgical) methods: These are used in simple cases by advising the patient to change his lifestyle and avoid activities that cause him pain or other symptoms, and to take painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs when needed. We mentioned a number of them on this link. Arthroscopy: This is used in cases that have not benefited from non-surgical methods, and in it the bone spurs that cause the impingement in the hip joint are removed. Arthroscopy is a procedure performed through a very small hole and the patient is usually discharged from the hospital on the same day. Regenerative therapy: During the arthroscopy, the condition of the cartilage surface of the hip joint and the labrum of the acetabular cavity of the hip joint are examined to see if there is any damage or tear in them. In this case, we resort to Dr. Nizar's special technique through arthroscopy followed by injection of the vascular tissue compound, which stimulates the repair of damaged tissue in the joint, and protects the joint from future erosion and prevention