Femoroacetabular Impingement in the Athlete: Compensatory Injury Patterns

Femoroacetabular impingement is an increasingly recognized cause of hip and groin pain in the athlete. Loss of hip motion from femoroacetabular impingement may result in compensatory injury patterns involving the hemipelvis, including osteitis pubis, sports hernia, sacroiliac joint pain, muscle strains, low back pain, and posterior hip subluxations. Failure to recognize and address intra-articular hip pathology, in addition to treating compensatory injury patterns, can result in continued disability in a subset of athletes.