Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) – Patient Info

Within sports medicine circles, Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) has become very topical. You may have come across this term in the media or from your physio. But what is it and what does it mean?

It refers to nipping at your hip joint caused usually by a bony bump on the neck of your femur (thigh bone) called a cam deformity or a bony growth on the socket (acetabulum) called a pincer deformity.

FAI can be a cause of pain around the hip and groin which comes on gradually. It should not be considered as a cause of pain if you have been involved in an accident or acute sporting injury.

This nipping can cause pain deep in your hip, buttock, front of thigh, inside of thigh or outside of your thigh.There are many different causes of groin pain. FAI is only one of them.It is important to find the correct cause of your groin pain so you can have the correct advice and treatment.

If you have groin pain, you should ask your GP to refer you for an x-ray of your hips and you should then see a Sports Medicine Specialist.Most specialists believe that most people can manage the pain from FAI with a good physiotherapy rehab programme. This can take several months of supervision from a physiotherapist experienced in managing groin pain. Sometimes the pain does not settle and requires surgery.