Altered hip loading and biomechanics in individuals with femoracetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) may affect the joint's habitual mechanical environment, potentially increasing the risk of osteoarthritis . Examining differences in contributions of muscle and external loads (i.e., gravitational and intersegmental-inertial forces) to hip contact forces, compared with controls, may aid our understanding of FAIS pathomechanics and assist with the development of more effective treatments. Whole-body motion and electromyograms of 14 lower limb muscles were acquired from 41 participants with FAIS and 24 healthy controls whilst walking overground at self-selected speed. Contributions made by muscle and external (gravitational and intersegmental-inertial) forces to hip contact force during the stance phase of walking were estimated using an electromyogram-assisted neuromusculoskeletal model and compared between-groups using statistical parametric mapping. Throughout stance, muscle contributed ∼80% of hip contact force for both participants with FAIS and controls. Compared with controls, participants with FAIS generated ∼20% lower total muscle force (mean difference: -0.75 N·BW-1, 95% CI -1.13 to - 0.35, p < 0.001) primarily due to lower adductor (-0.27 N·BW-1, 95% CI -0.48 to - 0.06, p = 0.001), extensor (-0.40 N·BW-1, 95% CI - 0.65 to -0.16, p < 0.001) and flexor (-0.71 N·BW-1, 95% CI -1.07 to -0.35, p < 0.001) muscle group forces at different stages of stance. Compared with controls, lower hip contact force in participants with FAIS during the stance phase of walking were the result of lower flexor, extensor and adductor muscle forces and could be targeted in non-operative interventions (e.g., physiotherapy).
Background Exercise is recommended for hip osteoarthritis, but the most effective programmes for management of symptoms are unknown. We aimed to investigate whether adding aerobic physical activity to resistance exercise would improve hip pain and function more than resistance exercise alone in individuals with hip osteoarthritis. Methods PHOENIX was a randomised comparative effectiveness trial done in Melbourne, Australia. We recruited people with a clinical diagnosis of symptomatic hip osteoarthritis. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1, by use of a web-based system) to aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise or resistance exercise only. Both groups received a home exercise programme and nine consultations with a physiotherapist over 3 months. The co-primary outcomes were change in hip pain severity (numerical rating scale [NRS] 0-10, with higher scores indicating worse outcomes) and function (Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]; scale 0-68, with higher scores indicating worse outcomes) at 3 months. Analyses were done in the intention-to-treat population. People with lived experience of hip osteoarthritis were involved in the design of the study. This trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN 12619001297112), and is complete. Findings Between Oct 15, 2019, and Sept 13, 2022, 196 participants (134 [68%] women and 62 [32%] men) were randomly assigned to aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise (n=97) or resistance exercise only (n=99). At 3 months, aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise was not more effective in improving hip pain severity (mean difference 03 [95% CI-03 to 08; p=036]) or function (mean difference-09 [95% CI-36 to 18; p=051]) compared with resistance exercise alone, with both showing a mean improvement in pain (24 [SD 19] with aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise vs 22 [21] with resistance exercise only) and function (70 [104] with aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise vs 89 [108] resistance exercise only). There were 24 related adverse events with aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise, and 31 with resistance exercise only, none of which were serious. Interpretation Despite improvement in pain and function in both groups, adding moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to resistance exercise did not lead to superior outcomes. Future work could consider higher intensity interval training before concluding no symptomatic benefit of adding aerobic exercise or physical activity to resistance exercise. Copyright (c) 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Introduction: We compared the 12-month effects of arthroscopic surgery and physiotherapist-led care for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome on the time-varying magnitude of hip contact force and muscle contributions to hip contact force during walking. Methods: Secondary analysis was performed on 37 individuals with FAI syndrome who received biomechanical assessment before and 12 months after either arthroscopic surgery (n = 17) or physiotherapist-led care (personalized hip therapy [PHT]) (n = 20). At both time points, three-dimensional whole-body motions, ground reaction forces, and surface electromyograms (n = 14) were acquired during overground walking. A neuromusculoskeletal model was used to determine hip contact force and muscle contributions to hip contact force. Two-way repeated measures analyses of variance, implemented through statistical parametric mapping, were used to assess interactions between, and main effects of, treatment (arthroscopy vs PHT) and time (baseline vs follow-up) on time-varying magnitude of hip contact force and muscle contributions to hip contact force. Effects were reported as mean differences (normalized to bodyweight, BW) with 95% confidence intervals [95% CI, lower, upper bound]. Results: For both treatment groups, hip contact force was larger at 12 months compared with their respective baseline value (mean increase across stride, arthroscopy: 0.97 BW [95% CI, 0.49-1.46] P < 0.001; PHT: 1.05 BW [95% CI, 0.68-1.43] P < 0.001); however, no interaction effects were found. For both treatment groups, hip flexor, adductor, and abductor muscle groups made greater contributions to hip contact force after 12 months compared with baseline, whereas hip extensors made smaller contributions. Conclusions: Compared with baseline, both treatments resulted in 12-month increases in hip contact force during walking caused by larger flexor, adductor, and abductor muscle forces. At 12 months, hip contact force magnitude remained different from normative values reported for healthy individuals, indicating that neither treatment fully restored hip biomechanics.
SUMMARY:The stabilization of fractures of the anterior pelvic ring and anterior column of the acetabulum with antegrade or retrograde intramedullary screws has been frequently described. However, these narrow and nonlinear bony corridors can be challenging and dangerous to accommodate with rigid linear implants. Titanium elastic nails (TEN) are ideal implants to navigate in the narrow, irregular medullary canal in this anatomical location. This study aims to describe this surgical technique and its preliminary results. From April 2018 to October 2023, patients who underwent acute TEN stabilization of their pelvic or acetabular fractures were identified from a review of medical records at a Level 1 trauma center. A focused review of their clinical documentation was performed to describe their demographics, injury patterns, the surgical techniques used in their treatment, and their clinical and radiographic outcomes. During the almost 6-year period, 19 patients were identified (age: 39 ± 22 years; 74% male). There were 3 acetabulum and 16 pelvic ring fractures stabilized. One of the 19 patients underwent bilateral TEN fixation of the superior pubic rami. Patients were followed-up through hospital outpatient clinics postoperatively (median follow-up 14 months, IQR: 8-24 months). No fractures were complicated by nonunion or secondary displacement of the reduction. A 14-year-old patient required hardware removal due to irritation, and a 19-month-old patient underwent planned hardware removal due to her age. No patients have undergone hip arthroplasty to date, and there were no instances of infection or neurovascular injury. These preliminary results are promising and suggest that larger scale assessment of the indications and feasibility of TEN stabilization in pelvic and acetabular surgery is warranted.
Background Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) can cause hip pain and chondrolabral damage that may be managed non-operatively or surgically. Squatting motions require large degrees of hip flexion and underpin many daily and sporting tasks but may cause hip impingement and provoke pain. Differential effects of physiotherapist-led care and arthroscopy on biomechanics during squatting have not been examined previously. This study explored differences in 12-month changes in kinematics and moments during squatting between patients with FAIS treated with a physiotherapist-led intervention (Personalised Hip Therapy, PHT) and arthroscopy. Methods A subsample (n = 36) of participants with FAIS enrolled in a multi-centre, pragmatic, two-arm superiority randomised controlled trial underwent three-dimensional motion analysis during squatting at baseline and 12-months following random allocation to PHT (n = 17) or arthroscopy (n = 19). Changes in time-series and peak trunk, pelvis, and hip biomechanics, and squat velocity and maximum depth were explored between treatment groups. Results No significant differences in 12-month changes were detected between PHT and arthroscopy groups. Compared to baseline, the arthroscopy group squatted slower at follow-up (descent: mean difference −0.04 m∙s−1 (95%CI [−0.09 to 0.01]); ascent: −0.05 m∙s−1 [−0.11 to 0.01]%). No differences in squat depth were detected between or within groups. After adjusting for speed, trunk flexion was greater in both treatment groups at follow-up compared to baseline (descent: PHT 7.50° [−14.02 to −0.98]%; ascent: PHT 7.29° [−14.69 to 0.12]%, arthroscopy 16.32° [−32.95 to 0.30]%). Compared to baseline, both treatment groups exhibited reduced anterior pelvic tilt (descent: PHT 8.30° [0.21–16.39]%, arthroscopy −10.95° [−5.54 to 16.34]%; ascent: PHT −7.98° [−0.38 to 16.35]%, arthroscopy −10.82° [3.82–17.81]%), hip flexion (descent: PHT −11.86° [1.67–22.05]%, arthroscopy −16.78° [8.55–22.01]%; ascent: PHT −12.86° [1.30–24.42]%, arthroscopy −16.53° [6.72–26.35]%), and knee flexion (descent: PHT −6.62° [0.56– 12.67]%; ascent: PHT −8.24° [2.38–14.10]%, arthroscopy −8.00° [−0.02 to 16.03]%). Compared to baseline, the PHT group exhibited more plantarflexion during squat ascent at follow-up (−3.58° [−0.12 to 7.29]%). Compared to baseline, both groups exhibited lower external hip flexion moments at follow-up (descent: PHT −0.55 N∙m/BW∙HT[%] [0.05–1.05]%, arthroscopy −0.84 N∙m/BW∙HT[%] [0.06–1.61]%; ascent: PHT −0.464 N∙m/BW∙HT[%] [−0.002 to 0.93]%, arthroscopy −0.90 N∙m/BW∙HT[%] [0.13–1.67]%). Conclusion Exploratory data suggest at 12-months follow-up, neither PHT or hip arthroscopy are superior at eliciting changes in trunk, pelvis, or lower-limb biomechanics. Both treatments may induce changes in kinematics and moments, however the implications of these changes are unknown. Trial registration details Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry reference: ACTRN12615001177549. Trial registered 2/11/2015.
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome is a common cause of hip and groin pain in young individuals. FAI syndrome is a triad of signs, symptoms, and imaging findings. Necessary but not sufficient for the diagnosis of FAI syndrome is the presence of cam and/or pincer morphology of the hip. However, pathological thresholds for cam and pincer morphologies are not well-established. Management of FAI syndrome is typically through either physiotherapist-led therapy or surgical intervention. Physiotherapist-led management involves exercises aimed to optimise movement patterns of the hip and pelvis to prevent impingement from occurring, activity modification and analgesia, whereas surgical management involves arthroscopic resection of the cam/pincer morphology and treatment of concomitant soft tissue pathologies such as labral tears, cartilage lesions or ligamentum teres tears. Careful consideration of intervention is required given that FAI syndrome may predispose those affected to developing future osteoarthritis of the hip. In most clinical trials, hip arthroscopy has been found to provide greater improvement in patient-reported outcomes in the short-term compared to physiotherapy, however it is unknown whether this is sustained in the long-term or affects the future development of hip osteoarthritis.
Cam femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome is associated with hip osteoarthritis (OA) development. Hip shape features, derived from statistical shape modeling (SSM), are predictive for OA incidence, progression, and arthroplasty. Currently, no three-dimensional (3D) SSM studies have investigated whether there are cam shape differences between male and female patients, which may be of potential clinical relevance for FAI syndrome assessments. This study analyzed sex-specific cam location and shape in FAI syndrome patients from clinical magnetic resonance examinations (M:F 56:41, age: 16-63 years) using 3D focused shape modeling-based segmentation (CamMorph) and partial least squares regression to obtain shape features (latent variables [LVs]) of cam morphology. Two-way analysis of variance tests were used to assess cam LV data for sex and cam volume severity differences. There was no significant interaction between sex and cam volume severity for the LV data. A sex main effect was significant for LV 1 (cam size) and LV 2 (cam location) with medium to large effect sizes (p < 0.001, d > 0.75). Mean results revealed males presented with a superior-focused cam, whereas females presented with an anterior-focused cam. When stratified by cam volume, cam morphologies were located superiorly in male and anteriorly in female FAI syndrome patients with negligible, mild, or moderate cam volumes. Both male and female FAI syndrome patients with major cam volumes had a global cam distribution. In conclusion, sex-specific cam location differences are present in FAI syndrome patients with negligible, mild, and moderate cam volumes, whereas major cam volumes were globally distributed in both male and female patients.
A 40-year-old man was brought into the Emergency Department after he fell into a dam following a 10 m jump with his motocross bike. He received 3 min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by bystanders, before intubation by paramedics. Initial plain radiograph of the chest (Fig. 1) demonstrated an abnormal cardiac silhouette, which on computed tomography (CT) was shown to be consistent with pericardial haematoma (Fig. 2). Also revealed on CT was a grossly (13 mm) displaced sternal fracture, retrosternal haematoma, left haemothorax and 4th rib fracture. He had a normal electrocardiogram but elevated troponin (2205 ng/L), suggestive of blunt cardiac injury.1, 2 Given the pericardial haematoma, he was acutely evaluated with transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), which showed normal ventricular function and no evidence of tamponade effect. A left chest tube was acutely inserted for his haemothorax, and he underwent surgical evacuation of the retrosternal hematoma with placement of two size 18F drains, and open reduction and internal fixation of the abnormally moving and gaping sternum. In consultation with Cardiothoracic Surgery, a decision was made to not undertake a pericardial window or sternotomy for the pericardial effusion as part of this procedure, given the patient had normal haemodynamic status, a TTE demonstrating no tamponade effect from the pericardial fluid, and there were no signs of active or ongoing pericardial bleeding. The pericardial haematoma was thus managed initially with close monitoring and serial TTEs. Management of pericardial haematoma in this clinical setting is controversial, has limited available evidence, and thus there is significant variability in clinical practice.3 On day 10, a repeat TTE was performed to assess progress of the pericardial haematoma. It showed an increase in size, such that the pericardial haematoma was compressing the right ventricle and atrium to exert a mild tamponade effect. The pericardial haematoma was uneventfully drained with percutaneous CT-guided technique under local anaesthesia. General anaesthesia was avoided as induction agents may cause vasodilation, diminished preload and myocardial depression, each of which may cause acute decompensation and haemodynamic collapse in patients with cardiac tamponade.4 At 6-week follow-up the patient was pain free with normal cardio-respiratory function. His plain chest radiograph at this time (Fig. 3) demonstrated resolution of the abnormal cardiac silhouette. There was remaining atelectasis in the left lower lobe and small right basal pleural effusion. When encountered in the trauma bay, a plain chest radiograph with abnormal cardiac silhouette such as Figure 1 should raise the surgeon's suspicion for pericardial haematoma. In the context of haemodynamic instability, expeditious drainage may be required to treat cardiac tamponade.5 In the haemodynamically normal patient, close monitoring is required to ensure the pericardial haematoma does not expand, necessitating subsequent drainage. Open access publishing facilitated by The University of Newcastle, as part of the Wiley - The University of Newcastle agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians. Nicholas J. Murphy: Investigation; writing – original draft. Zsolt J. Balogh: Conceptualization; writing – review and editing.
Diaphyseal fractures of the femur and tibia are a frequent consequence of trauma and are most often managed with intramedullary nailing. Although outcomes from these fractures are generally perceived as good, it is estimated that 7 to 14% of people with tibial and femoral shaft fractures progress to non-union and an even greater proportion suffer delayed union, which causes substantial health and economic burdens both for patients and health services. Compared to those whose fractures unite within the normal timeframe, patients suffering delayed union or non-union suffer more pain, worse functional outcomes, greater psychological disability and longer amounts of time off work. In response to non-union, invasive and costly secondary procedures such as exchange nailing, supplementary fixation and/or bone grafting are commonly required. We hypothesise that performing acute autologous bone grafting at the time of the primary intramedullary nailing procedure would reduce the incidence of fracture delayed union and non-union for tibial and femoral shaft fractures. The autologous cancellous bone retrieved during reaming with intramedullary nailing is usually discarded. We propose a minimally invasive surgical technique to transplant the retrieved intramedullary reamings to the fracture site during the primary fracture fixation. Autologous cancellous bone grafting is the gold standard for management of fracture non-union, and works by providing osteoprogenitor cells, an osteoconductive scaffold, and growth factors to the fracture site, where they are crucial for fracture healing. Proprietary biological products have also been developed that aim to replicate the results from bone grafting. Although autologous cancellous bone grafting is a proven and robust technique for the treatment of atrophic fracture non-union, it has not been widely studied in the acute management of femoral and tibial shaft fractures. The proposed hypothesis is amenable to testing in randomized clinical trials. If found to be effective in reducing rates of delayed union and non-union with minimal adverse events, this method could be adopted on a large scale, potentially transforming acute management of long bone fractures, and improving patient outcomes from these injuries.
BACKGROUND:Bony morphology is central to the pathomechanism of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS), however isolated radiographic measures poorly predict symptom onset and severity. More comprehensive morphology measurement considered together with patient factors may better predict symptom presentation. This study aimed to determine the morphological parameter(s) and patient factor(s) associated with symptom age of onset and severity in FAIS.METHODS:99 participants (age 32.9 ± 10.5 years; body mass index (BMI 24.3 ± 3.1 kg/m2; 42% females) diagnosed with FAIS received standardised plain radiographs and magnetic resonance scans. Alpha angle in four radial planes (superior to anterior), acetabular version (AV), femoral torsion, lateral centre-edge, anterior centre-edge (ACEA) and femoral neck-shaft angles were measured. Age of symptom onset (age at presentation minus duration of symptoms), international Hip Outcome Tool-33 (iHOT-33) and modified UCLA activity scores were recorded. Backward stepwise regression assessed morphological parameters and patient factors (age, sex, BMI, symptom duration, annual income, private/public healthcare system accessed) to determine variables independently associated with onset age and iHOT-33 score.RESULTS:Earlier symptom onset was associated with larger superoanterior alpha angle (p = 0.007), smaller AV (p = 0.023), lower BMI (p = 0.010) and public healthcare system access (p = 0.041) (r2 = 0.320). Worse iHOT-33 score was associated with smaller ACEA (p = 0.034), female sex (p = 0.040), worse modified UCLA activity score (p = 0.010) and public healthcare system access (p < 0.001) (r2 = 0.340).CONCLUSIONS:Age of symptom onset was chiefly predicted by femoral and acetabular bony morphology measures, whereas symptom severity predominantly by patient factors. Factors measured explained a small amount of variance in the data; additional unmeasured factors may be more influential.
Background: Although randomized controlled trials comparing hip arthroscopy with physical therapy for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome have emerged, no studies have investigated potential moderators or mediators of change in hip-related quality of life. Purpose: To explore potential moderators, mediators, and prognostic indicators of the effect of hip arthroscopy and physical therapy on change in 33-item international Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33) score for FAI syndrome. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Overall, 99 participants were recruited from the clinics of orthopaedic surgeons and randomly allocated to treatment with hip arthroscopy or physical therapy. Change in iHOT-33 score from baseline to 12 months was the dependent outcome for analyses of moderators, mediators, and prognostic indicators. Variables investigated as potential moderators/prognostic indicators were demographic variables, symptom duration, alpha angle, lateral center-edge angle (LCEA), Hip Osteoarthritis MRI Scoring System (HOAMS) for selected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features, and delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) score. Potential mediators investigated were change in chosen bony morphology measures, HOAMS, and dGEMRIC score from baseline to 12 months. For hip arthroscopy, intraoperative procedures performed (femoral ostectomy ± acetabular ostectomy ± labral repair ± ligamentum teres debridement) and quality of surgery graded by a blinded surgical review panel were investigated for potential association with iHOT-33 change. For physical therapy, fidelity to the physical therapy program was investigated for potential association with iHOT-33 change. Results: A total of 81 participants were included in the final moderator/prognostic indicator analysis and 85 participants in the final mediator analysis after exclusion of those with missing data. No significant moderators or mediators of change in iHOT-33 score from baseline to 12 months were identified. Patients with smaller baseline LCEA (β = −0.82; P = .034), access to private health care (β = 12.91; P = .013), and worse baseline iHOT-33 score (β = −0.48; P < .001) had greater iHOT-33 improvement from baseline to 12 months, irrespective of treatment allocation, and thus were prognostic indicators of treatment response. Unsatisfactory treatment fidelity was associated with worse treatment response (β = −24.27; P = .013) for physical therapy. The quality of surgery and procedures performed were not associated with iHOT-33 change for hip arthroscopy ( P = .460-.665 and P = .096-.824, respectively). Conclusion: No moderators or mediators of change in hip-related quality of life were identified for treatment of FAI syndrome with hip arthroscopy or physical therapy in these exploratory analyses. Patients who accessed the Australian private health care system, had smaller LCEAs, and had worse baseline iHOT-33 scores, experienced greater iHOT-33 improvement, irrespective of treatment allocation.
This study sought to explore, in people with symptoms, signs and imaging findings of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI syndrome): (1) whether more severe labral damage, synovitis, bone marrow lesions, or subchondral cysts assessed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were associated with poorer cartilage health, and (2) whether abnormal femoral, acetabular, and/or combined femoral and acetabular versions were associated with poorer cartilage health. This cross-sectional study used baseline data from the 50 participants with FAI syndrome in the Australian FASHIoN trial (ACTRN12615001177549) with available dGEMRIC scans. Cartilage health was measured using delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) score sampled at the chondrolabral junction on three midsagittal slices, at one acetabular and one femoral head region of interest on each slice, and MRI features were assessed using the Hip Osteoarthritis MRI Score. Analyses were adjusted for alpha angle and body mass index, which are known to affect dGEMRIC score. Linear regression assessed the relationship with the dGEMRIC score of (i) selected MRI features, and (ii) femoral, acetabular, and combined femoral and acetabular versions. Hips with more severe synovitis had worse dGEMRIC scores (partial ?(2) = 0.167, p = 0.020), whereas other MRI features were not associated. A lower combined femoral and acetabular version was associated with a better dGEMRIC score (partial ?(2) = 0.164, p = 0.021), whereas isolated measures of femoral and acetabular version were not associated. In conclusion, worse synovitis was associated with poorer cartilage health, suggesting synovium and cartilage may be linked to the pathogenesis of FAI syndrome. A lower combined femoral and acetabular version appears to be protective of cartilage health at the chondrolabral junction.
AIMS:To compare (a) the change in radiological bony morphology between participants with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome who underwent arthroscopic hip surgery compared to physiotherapist-led non-surgical care and (b) the change in radiological bony morphology between participants with FAI syndrome who underwent arthroscopic hip surgery involving cam resection or acetabular rim trimming or combined cam resection and acetabular rim trimming.METHODS:Maximum alpha angle measurements on magnetic resonance imaging and Hip2 Norm standardized hip measurements on radiographs were recorded at baseline and at 12 months postoperatively. One-way analysis of covariance and independent T tests were conducted between participants who underwent arthroscopic hip surgery and physiotherapist-led non-surgical care. Independent T tests and analysis of variance were conducted between participants who underwent the 3 different arthroscopic hip procedures.RESULTS:Arthroscopic hip surgery resulted in significant improvements to mean alpha angle measurements (decreased from 70.8° to 62.1°) (P value < .001, 95% CI -11.776, -4.772), lateral center edge angle (LCEA) (P value = .030, 95% CI -3.403, -0.180) and extrusion index (P value = 0.002, 95% CI 0.882, 3.968) compared to physiotherapist-led management. Mean maximum 1-year postoperative alpha angle was 59.0° (P value = .003, 95% CI 4.845, 18.768) for participants who underwent isolated cam resection. Measurements comparing the 3 different arthroscopic hip procedures only differed in total femoral head coverage (F[2,37] = 3.470, P = .042).CONCLUSION:Arthroscopic hip surgery resulted in statistically significant improvements to LCEA, extrusion index and alpha angle as compared to physiotherapist-led management. Measured outcomes between participants who underwent cam resection and/or acetabular rim trimming only differed in total femoral head coverage.
Background: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome is characterized by chondrolabral damage and hip pain. The specific biomechanics used by people with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome during daily activities may exacerbate their symptoms. Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome can be treated nonoperatively or surgically; however, differential treatment effects on walking biomechanics have not been examined. Purpose: To compare the 12-month effects of physical therapist–led care or arthroscopy on trunk, pelvis, and hip kinematics as well as hip moments during walking. Study Design: Secondary analysis of multi-centre, pragmatic, two-arm superiority randomized controlled trial subsample; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A subsample of 43 participants from the Australian Full randomised controlled trial of Arthroscopic Surgery for Hip Impingement versus best cONventional (FASHIoN trial) underwent gait analysis and completed the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33) at both baseline and 12 months after random allocation to physical therapist–led care (personalized hip therapy; n = 22; mean age 35; 41% female) or arthroscopy (n = 21; mean age 36; 48% female). Changes in trunk, pelvis, and hip biomechanics were compared between treatment groups across the gait cycle using statistical parametric mapping. Associations between changes in iHOT-33 and changes in hip kinematics across 3 planes of motion were examined. Results: As compared with the arthroscopy group, the personalized hip therapy group increased its peak hip adduction moments (mean difference = 0.35 N·m/body weight·height [%] [95% CI, 0.05-0.65]; effect size = 0.72; P = .02). Hip adduction moments in the arthroscopy group were unchanged in response to treatment. No other between-group differences were detected. Improvements in iHOT-33 were not associated with changes in hip kinematics. Conclusion: Peak hip adduction moments were increased in the personalized hip therapy group and unchanged in the arthroscopy group. No biomechanical changes favoring arthroscopy were detected, suggesting that personalized hip therapy elicits greater changes in hip moments during walking at 12-month follow-up. Twelve-month changes in hip-related quality of life were not associated with changes in hip kinematics.
Background:Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) cam morphology is routinely assessed using manual measurements of two-dimensional (2D) alpha angles which are prone to high rater variability and do not provide direct three-dimensional (3D) data on these osseous formations. We present CamMorph, a fully automated 3D pipeline for segmentation, statistical shape assessment and measurement of cam volume, surface area and height from clinical magnetic resonance (MR) images of the hip in FAI patients.Methods:The novel CamMorph pipeline involves two components: (I) accurate proximal femur segmentation generated by combining the 3D U-net to identify both global (region) and local (edge) features in clinical MR images and focused shape modelling to generate a 3D anatomical model for creating patient-specific proximal femur models; (II) patient-specific anatomical information from 3D focused shape modelling to simulate 'healthy' femoral bone models with cam-affected region constraints applied to the anterosuperior femoral head-neck region to quantify cam morphology in FAI patients. The CamMorph pipeline, which generates patient-specific data within 5 min, was used to analyse multi-site clinical MR images of the hip to measure and assess cam morphology in male (n=56) and female (n=41) FAI patients.Results:There was excellent agreement between manual and CamMorph segmentations of the proximal femur as demonstrated by the mean Dice similarity index (DSI; 0.964±0.006), 95% Hausdorff distance (HD; 2.123±0.876 mm) and average surface distance (ASD; 0.539±0.189 mm) values. Compared to female FAI patients, male patients had a significantly larger median cam volume (969.22 vs. 272.97 mm3, U=240.0, P<0.001), mean surface area [657.36 vs. 306.93 mm2, t(95)=8.79, P<0.001], median maximum-height (3.66 vs. 2.15 mm, U=407.0, P<0.001) and median average-height (1.70 vs. 0.86 mm, U=380.0, P<0.001).Conclusions:The fully automated 3D CamMorph pipeline developed in the present study successfully segmented and measured cam morphology from clinical MR images of the hip in male and female patients with differing FAI severity and pathoanatomical characteristics.
Background Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of musculoskeletal pain. Exercise is a core recommended treatment. Despite some clinical guidelines also recommending weight loss for hip OA, there is no evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCT) to substantiate these recommendations. This superiority, 2-group, parallel RCT will compare a combined diet and exercise program to an exercise only program, over 6 months. Methods One hundred people with symptomatic and radiographic hip OA will be recruited from the community. Following baseline assessment, participants will be randomly allocated to either, i) diet and exercise or; ii) exercise only. Participants in the diet and exercise group will have six consultations with a dietitian and five consultations with a physiotherapist via videoconferencing over 6 months. The exercise only group will have five consultations with a physiotherapist via videoconferencing over 6 months. The exercise program for both groups will include prescription of strengthening exercise and a physical activity plan, advice about OA management and additional educational resources. The diet intervention includes prescription of a ketogenic very low-calorie diet with meal replacements and educational resources to support weight loss and healthy eating. Primary outcome is self-reported hip pain via an 11-point numeric rating scale (0 = ‘no pain’ and 10 = ‘worst pain possible’) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include self-reported body weight (at 0, 6 and 12 months) and body mass index (at 0, 6 and 12 months), visceral fat (measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry at 0 and 6 months), pain, physical function, quality of life (all measured using subscales of the Hip Osteoarthritis Outcome Scale at 0, 6 and 12 months), and change in pain and physical activity (measured using 7-point global rating of change Likert scale at 6 and 12 months). Additional measures include adherence, adverse events and cost-effectiveness. Discussion This study will determine whether a diet intervention in addition to exercise provides greater hip pain-relief, compared to exercise alone. Findings will assist clinicians in providing evidence-based advice regarding the effect of a dietary intervention on hip OA pain. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov . Identifier: NCT04825483 . Registered 31st March 2021.
ABSTRACT Purpose The magnitude and location of hip contact force influence the local mechanical environment of the articular tissue, driving remodeling. We used a neuromusculoskeletal model to investigate hip contact force magnitudes and their regional loading patterns on the articular surfaces in those with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome and controls during walking. Methods An EMG-assisted neuromusculoskeletal model was used to estimate hip contact forces in eligible participants with FAI syndrome (n = 41) and controls (n = 24), walking at self-selected speed. Hip contact forces were used to determine the average and spread of regional loading for femoral and acetabular articular surfaces. Hip contact force magnitude and region of loading were compared between groups using statistical parametric mapping and independent t-tests, respectively (P < 0.05). Results All of the following findings are reported compared with controls. Those with FAI syndrome walked with lower-magnitude hip contact forces (mean difference, −0.7 N·BW−1; P < 0.001) during first and second halves of stance, and with lower anteroposterior, vertical, and mediolateral contact force vector components. Participants with FAI syndrome also had less between-participant variation in average regional loading, which was located more anteriorly (3.8°, P = 0.035) and laterally (2.2°, P = 0.01) on the acetabulum but more posteriorly (−4.8°, P = 0.01) on the femoral head. Participants with FAI syndrome had a smaller spread of regional loading across both the acetabulum (−1.9 mm, P = 0.049) and femoral head (1 mm, P < 0.001) during stance. Conclusions Compared with controls, participants with FAI syndrome walked with lower-magnitude hip contact forces that were constrained to smaller regions on the acetabulum and femoral head. Differences in regional loading patterns might contribute to the mechanobiological processes driving cartilage maladaptation in those with FAI syndrome.
OBJECTIVES: To examine whether a hip brace can improve hip health quality-of-life (QoL) and is well-tolerated in people with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) or symptomatic labral tears after 6 weeks of wear. DESIGN: Parallel, two-arm, exploratory randomized trial. SETTING: Hospital and private clinics of orthopaedic surgeons. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals >18 years with FAIS or labral tears. INTERVENTIONS: Usual conservative care versus usual conservative care plus a hip brace. MAIN OUTCOMES: Patient-reported outcomes were assessed with the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33), and Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Scores (HAGOS). Brace acceptability was measured using the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology survey. Independent t-tests assessed between-group differences. RESULTS: Thirty-eight participants were recruited, 19 each group, 60% women, mean age 39.3 +/- 11.8 years, body mass index 25.3 +/- 4.4 kg/m(2), iHOT-33 36.6 +/- 24.8. Three participants dropped out (one usual care, 2 braced). The mean between-group difference for iHOT-33 was 19.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.68-37.06, P = 0.03) favoring the brace. There were improvements in most HAGOS subscale scores favoring the brace. Issues with brace tolerability for some participants were perceived comfort and effectiveness. Three brace-related adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: Between-group differences favored the braced group for hip health QoL, pain, symptoms, and function. Although these were promising results, the CIs for the estimates were wide, the small sample size likely a contributing factor. Our results suggest that further investigation of the brace is warranted, we calculated sample sizes and made recommendations for the design of a future trial.
Background Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of musculoskeletal pain. Exercise is a core recommended treatment. Most evidence is based on muscle-strengthening exercise, but aerobic physical activity has potential to enhance clinical benefits. The primary aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that adding aerobic physical activity to a muscle strengthening exercise leads to significantly greater reduction in hip pain and improvements in physical function, compared to a lower-limb muscle strengthening exercise program alone at 3 months. Methods This is a superiority, 2-group, parallel randomised controlled trial including 196 people with symptomatic hip OA from the community. Following baseline assessment, participants are randomly allocated to receive either i) aerobic physical activity and muscle strengthening exercise or; ii) muscle strengthening exercise only. Participants in both groups receive 9 consultations with a physiotherapist over 3 months. Both groups receive a progressive muscle strengthening exercise program in addition to advice about OA management. The aerobic physical activity plan includes a prescription of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity with a goal of attaining 150 min per week. Primary outcomes are self-reported hip pain assessed on an 11-point numeric rating scale (0 = ‘no pain’ and 10 = ‘worst pain possible’) and self-reported physical function (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index physical function subscale) at 3 months. Secondary outcomes include other measures of self-reported pain (assessed at 0, 3, 9 months), self-reported physical function (assessed at 0, 3, 9 months), performance-based physical function (assessed at 0, 3 months), joint stiffness (assessed at 0, 3, 9 months), quality of life (assessed at 0, 3, 9 months), muscle strength (assessed at 0, 3 months), and cardiorespiratory fitness (assessed at 0, 3 months). Other measures include adverse events, co-interventions, and adherence. Measures of body composition, serum inflammatory biomarkers, quantitative sensory measures, anxiety, depression, fear of movement and self-efficacy are included to explore causal mechanisms. Discussion Findings will assist to provide an evidence-based recommendation regarding the additional effect of aerobic physical activity to lower-limb muscle strengthening on hip OA pain and physical function. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry reference: ACTRN 12619001297112. Registered 20th September 2019.
Purpose:To obtain automated measurements of cam volume, surface area, and height from baseline (preintervention) and 12-month magnetic resonance (MR) images acquired from male and female patients allocated to physiotherapy (PT) or arthroscopic surgery (AS) management for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in the Australian FASHIoN trial. Methods:An automated segmentation pipeline (CamMorph) was used to obtain cam morphology data from three-dimensional (3D) MR hip examinations in FAI patients classified with mild, moderate, or major cam volumes. Pairwise comparisons between baseline and 12-month cam volume, surface area, and height data were performed within the PT and AS patient groups using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results:A total of 43 patients were included with 15 PT patients (9 males, 6 females) and 28 AS patients (18 males, 10 females) for premanagement and postmanagement cam morphology assessments. Within the PT male and female patient groups, there were no significant differences between baseline and 12-month mean cam volume (male: 1269 vs 1288 mm3, t[16] = -0.39; female: 545 vs 550 mm,3 t[10] = -0.78), surface area (male: 1525 vs 1491 mm2, t[16] = 0.92; female: 885 vs 925 mm,2 t[10] = -0.78), maximum height (male: 4.36 vs 4.32 mm, t[16] = 0.34; female: 3.05 vs 2.96 mm, t[10] = 1.05) and average height (male: 2.18 vs 2.18 mm, t[16] = 0.22; female: 1.4 vs 1.43 mm, t[10] = -0.38). In contrast, within the AS male and female patient groups, there were significant differences between baseline and 12-month cam volume (male: 1343 vs 718 mm3, W = 0.0; female: 499 vs 240 mm3, t[18] = 2.89), surface area (male: 1520 vs 1031 mm2, t(34) = 6.48; female: 782 vs 483 mm2, t(18) = 3.02), maximum-height (male: 4.3 vs 3.42 mm, W = 13.5; female: 2.85 vs 2.24 mm, t(18) = 3.04) and average height (male: 2.17 vs 1.52 mm, W = 3.0; female: 1.4 vs 0.94 mm, W = 3.0). In AS patients, 3D bone models provided good visualization of cam bone mass removal postostectomy. Conclusions:Automated measurement of cam morphology from baseline (preintervention) and 12-month MR images demonstrated that the cam volume, surface area, maximum-height, and average height were significantly smaller in AS patients following ostectomy, whereas there were no significant differences in these cam measures in PT patients from the Australian FASHIoN study. Level of Evidence:Level II, cohort study.