Hip impingement, also called femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), results from extra bony bumps within the hip joint, either on the ball or socket. These extra bumps can pinch nearby soft tissue, like cartilage, leading to pain and limited movement.
Hip Impingement
Over time, extra bone around the hip joint wears down the labrum, the ring of cartilage around the hip socket. This can cause the labrum to peel away from the bone, making the hip unstable and increasing the risk of developing hip arthritis.
A complete history and physical exam will help determine the treatment for hip impingement. Physical therapy and pain-relieving methods are often the first course of treatment. If hip impingement causes ongoing pain or causes the labrum to tear, surgery may be considered.
A tear in the labrum, or labral tear, in the hip is a common result of untreated hip impingement. A labral repair is a surgical procedure that reattaches the torn labrum back to the hip socket.
A surgeon can treat hip impingement through hip arthroscopy, a minimally invasive technique that uses small incisions, a camera, and small instruments. Hip arthroscopy for hip impingement can reattach a torn labrum back to the hip socket or remove bony bumps from the ball or socket of the hip joint.
