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CURRENT CONCEPTS

15

Femoroacetabular Impingement

A profile of the femoral head should be also obtained. There
are multiple profiles described and the most commonly used

are the Dunn and cross-table views. The alpha angle should
be measured on these views (Fig 2). There is no consensus
on the normal value of the alpha angle, but we and most
th
others consider values above 55o as abnormal.

MRI is used to look for labral tears and chondral damage.
Acetabular and femoral cysts (herniation pits are a typical

FAI finding in the femoral head-neck junction), ligamentum
teres pathology, muscle injuries and tendonitis are also

INTERNATIONAL
evaluated. MRI has a role in the differential diagnosis of FAI
(i.e. avascular necrosis, loose bodies and synovial disease).
SPORTS MEDICINE

Treatment
FELLOWS CONFERENCE
Initially, conservative treatment can be instituted. It is based

on rest or activity modification, anti-inflammatory drugs and
Comprehensive Approaches physical therapy. However, conservative treatment often

to Articular Cartilage Repair does not yield good clinical results, and surgical treatment is
often necessary.
and Hip Arthroscopy
Surgical treatment can be performed both by open and

January 23 – 25, 2015 arthroscopic approaches. Recent reports suggest a faster
recovery with fewer complications in the arthroscopic
Carlsbad, California
approach. Albeit the approach chosen, the main goal is to

restore normal bony and soft tissue anatomy.

On the acetabular side, the pincer lesion is treated by an
acetabuloplasty, where the prominent anterior acetabular

wall is trimmed with an arthroscopic burr. On the femoral
side, the femoral contour is reshaped to restore the normal

ISAKOS is sending two femoral head-neck offset. Labral tears should be repaired
with suture anchors or reconstructed, usually with an iliotibial
international sports medicine
band graft, for a deficient labrum.
fellows to attend the annual
Conclusion
ISMF Conference held in
January in Carlsbad, California.
It is important for the sports medicine physician to get
acquainted with FAI. When proper diagnosis is obtained in a

timely fashion, treatment can be effective, and high rates of
patient satisfaction and return to sport are expected.
Apply today at
www.isakos.com

Deadline: September 1, 2014

02

01 Anterior impingement sign
02 Alpha angle measurement. In this example the alpha angle measures
70o. A herniation pit is also seen (arrow).

28 ISAKOS NEWSLETTER 2014: Volume II