Acetabular Impingement

synonyms: Femoroacetabular Impingement

Acetabular impingement occurs then the bones that make up the hip joint are malformed or arthritic. The hip joint is made up of the acetabulum which is part of the pelvis and the femoral head which is the top of the bone in the leg. Adnormal bone or bone spurs (osteophytes) on the femoral neck may impinge on the acetabular labrum (cam-type impingement) or when an abnormal prominence of acetabular bone or bone spurs (osteophyte) impinges against the femoral neck causing a kissing lesion.

This abnormal contact causes abrasion damage to the acetabular labrum and rim cartilage eventually leading to early arthritis and hip pain. Patients with acetabular impingement generally complain of pain in their groin which may be worsened by certain motions of the hip and may cause them to have an abnormal walk.

Acetabular impingment is diagnosed by an orthopaedic surgeon based on a patients symptoms, physical exam xray or MRI findings.

Treatment options for actebular impingement include observation, activity modifications, physical therapy, arthroscopic surgery and open surgery. Surgery for acetabular impingement is aimed at restoring the anatomy of the hip joint back to normal and repairing or cleaning up any labral problems in the hip. Treatment is intented to releave the patients pain, but also to decrease the amount of arthritis they will develop in the future. How much surgery can decrease a young patients future arthritis is currently unknown.

Risks of surgery include but are not limited to: Infection, Osteonecrosis of the femoral head, Neurovascular Injury, Arthritis, Hardware failure, Pain unchanged or worse than before surgery, Stiffness, Incisional scar (cosmesis), CRPS, Numbness surrounding the incision,s Need for further surgery, blood clots (DVT), pulmonary embolus (PE), and the Risks of anesthesia including heart attack, stroke and death. Although complications can occur they are uncommon and most patients are satisfied with their surgical outcomes. You should always discuss any concerns that you have about surgery with your surgeon and ensure that you have a surgeon that you trust and are confident in.

Every person and their particular circumstances are different so the treatment for your hip may be different than those discussed above. Please read this information carefully. Write down any questions that you have about your injury and its treatment and discuss them with your surgeon. Working together you and your surgeon will determine the best treatment for you.

Appointments to discuss Acetabular Impingement with Dr. Grutter can be made here. If you are not in the Nashville area, board certified orthopaedic surgeons in your area can be located here. If you have continued questions or concerns after seeing your orthopaedic surgeon a second opinion is often beneficial.