Femoro-acetabulaire impingement

Femoroacetabular impingement is a diagnosis that is often missed in patients with chronic groin pain. The condition often appears in young athletes. An anatomic deformity of the femoral head and the acetabular ridge causes an impingement that damages the subchondral tissue. This damage can result in sharp pain in the groin during specific hip movements and the acetabular labrum may also be ruptured. Diagnosing femoroacetabular impingement and a labral tear can be a challenge. We present the case of a 19-year-old male who twisted his right hip joint during a game of football. Physiotherapy only aggravated the pain. Further diagnostics showed femoroacetabular impingement and a labral tear. Arthroscopic intervention in the hip joint by an orthopedic surgeon lead to immediate pain relief, and two years after surgery the patient is still free of pain and has returned playing sport at his previous level. Femoroacetabular impingement can be a cause of chronic groin pain in young athletes. Hip arthroscopy is a safe and effective treatment, enabling the patient to return to playing sport at their previous level.

Conflict of interest: none declared. Financial support: none declared.