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Comparative study of the femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) prevalence in male semiprofessional and amateur soccer players

  • Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) represents a novel approach to the mechanical etiology of hip osteoarthritis. The cam-type femoroacetabular impingement deformity occurs frequently in young male athletes. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of FAI in male semiprofessional soccer players using clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), compared to amateur soccer players. In MRI, the α angle of Nötzli is determined for quantifying FAI.

Materials and methods

According to power analysis, a total of 22 asymptomatic semiprofessional soccer players with a median of 23.3 years of age (range 18–30 years) and 22 male amateur soccer players with a median of 22.5 years of age (control group, range 18–29 years) underwent an MRI to measure the hip α angle of Nötzli. The α angle of the kicking legs of the semiprofessional group and the amateur group were analyzed. The study group was moreover evaluated by the Hip Outcome Score (HOS) and a clinical hip examination including range of motion (ROM) and impingement tests.

Results

In the semiprofessional group, 19 soccer players had a right kicking leg and 1 soccer player had a left kicking leg. 2 soccer players kicked with two feet. In the semi-professional group, the mean value of the α angle of the kicking leg (57.3 ± 8.2°) was significantly higher than in the amateur group (51.7 ± 4.8°, P = 0.008). In the semi-professional group, 15 (62.5 %) of 24 kicking legs had an increased α angle >55°, while 5 (27.3 %) kicking legs of the amateur group had an α angle >55°. Five semi professional soccer players had findings in clinical examination, whereof 4 had an increased α angle >55°. No participant of the amateur group showed pathological results in the clinical examination (P = 0.0484). Overall, semiprofessional soccer players had a higher proportion of an increased α angle than the amateur group.

Conclusions

Semiprofessional players have a higher prevalence of an increased α angle in the kicking leg than the amateur group at the same age. The kicking leg is predisposed for FAI.

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Abbreviations

ADL:

Activities of daily living

CEA:

Center edge angle

FAI:

Femoroacetabular impingement

FOV:

Field of view

HOS:

Hip outcome score

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

ROM:

Range of motion

TE:

Echo times

TR:

Repetition times

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Acknowledgments

Parts of this study were presented and awarded at the conference 2013 of the German Speaking Association for Arthroscopy (AGA). The authors thank Priv.-Doz. Dr. Nina Lahner for linguistic support and preparation of the manuscript. The authors acknowledge Dr. Andreas Falarzik, Coach André Pawlak and the soccer players of the Sportgemeinschaft Wattenscheid 09.

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Sports Surgery, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Gudrunstr. 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany

    Matthias Lahner & Philipp Alexander Walter

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Christoph von Schulze Pellengahr

  3. Biomechanics Laboratory Department of Sport and Movement Sciences, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

    Marco Hagen

  4. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany

    Lars Victor von Engelhardt

  5. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Carsten Lukas

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  1. Matthias Lahner
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Correspondence to Matthias Lahner.

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Lahner, M., Walter, P.A., von Schulze Pellengahr, C. et al. Comparative study of the femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) prevalence in male semiprofessional and amateur soccer players. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 134, 1135–1141 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-014-2008-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-014-2008-6

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