title: The pathoanatomy and arthroscopic management of femoroacetabular impingement.
abstract: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) causes pain and chondrolabral damage via mechanical overload during movement of the hip. It is caused by many different types of pathoanatomy, including the cam 'bump', decreased head-neck offset, acetabular retroversion, global acetabular overcoverage, prominent anterior-inferior iliac spine, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, and the sequelae of childhood Perthes' disease. Both evolutionary and developmental factors may cause FAI. Prevalence studies show that anatomic variations that cause FAI are common in the asymptomatic population. Young athletes may be predisposed to FAI because of the stress on the physis during development. Other factors, including the soft tissues, may also influence symptoms and chondrolabral damage. FAI and the resultant chondrolabral pathology are often treated arthroscopically. Although the results are favourable, morphologies can be complex, patient expectations are high and the surgery is challenging. The long-term outcomes of hip arthroscopy are still forthcoming and it is unknown if treatment of FAI will prevent arthrosis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Hip Preservation, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Tibor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leunig
keywords: FAI; Femoroacetabular impingement; Hip arthroscopy; Hip development; Hip pain; Hip preservation