The adolescent hip and femoroacetabular impingement

The purpose of this article is to update the reader on the latest trends in treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). FAI is now becoming increasingly recognized as a cause of hip pain in adolescents and may be a cause of hip degeneration later in life. Early diagnosis and treatment may possibly delay the future onset of hip arthritis. Recent published articles discuss the most useful and latest techniques of diagnostic tests, radiographic studies, and surgical management of FAI and associated labral tears. Recent literature discusses short-term and mid-term outcome data of surgical treatment of adolescent and young adult hips, including elite athletes. The two basic mainstays of surgical management are arthroscopic osteoplasty and open dislocation with osteoplasty for treatment of bony impingement. Both techniques treat the labral disorder and cartilage injury and specifics about the techniques are discussed. Both methods have good short-term and mid-term results, although comparison studies of both techniques are still lacking. In conclusion, FAI is becoming increasingly recognized as a cause of hip pain in adolescents and possibly a cause of early hip degeneration later in life. The clinician should be familiar with FAI and treatment options.