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A Three-View Radiographic Approach to Femoroacetabular Impingement

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TAKE-HOME POINTS

  • FAI is a frequently unrecognized cause of hip pain in adolescents and young adults.
  • Understanding the potential sites of impingement and the specific radiographs to visualize these sites can help avoid unnecessary imaging and delayed diagnosis.
  • A simple radiographic approach consisting of a standing AP view of the pelvis, a cross-table lateral view, and a false profile view is often a sufficient screening tool.
  • While we tend to classify FAI into cam and pincer osseous bumps, alterations in hip dynamics can result in functional impingement even in the absence of the osseous bumps.
  • Advanced imaging is reserved for patients who have failed conservative management or are considering surgical intervention.


 

References

ABSTRACT

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is an abnormality of the hip joint that is increasingly being recognized as a cause of athletic disability and early degenerative hip disease. Despite significant advances in the knowledge of FAI, it remains a frequently unrecognized cause of hip pain in adolescents and young adults among orthopedic providers. The purpose of this article is to present a simple 3-view radiographic approach to young adults with hip pain. The radiographs include a standing anteroposterior view of the pelvis, a cross-table lateral view, and a false profile view. Good quality radiographs showing the common sites of potential impingement combined with a basic understanding of certain radiographic parameters may allow faster diagnosis, eliminate unnecessary studies, and allow earlier referral and management.

Continue to: The prevalence of femoroacetabular impingement...

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