r/HipImpingement

Hello All, first time poster.

30YO, F, recreational long distance runner (mainly the marathon distance). diagnosed with FAI (CAM impingement), labral tear on left hip (2?? anterior and posterior tear) as well as a paralabral cyst.

symptoms begun 5 years ago. I did PT at the time and MRI which showed only the anterior tear. at the time the pain resolved and I went on to run several marathons with no pain. after giving birth to my son, the pain returned. my doctor thinks this is a coincidence, but I am convinced pregnancy worsened the tear (I ran throughout pregnancy until the very end). the pain returned as soon as I began running even with very little running and mileage (run/walking a mile or two) and I also had a lot of pelvic pain while pregnant which I feel is related. I got a steroid injection a few months back which lasted about 4 weeks.

Current symptoms:

honestly I get very mild discomfort throughout the day. Most of my pain occurs after a run especially a longer run and maybe reaches a 6 and persists for about a day, may hurt to sleep on, then will resolve. I can still go about my day its not debilitating

if I don't run, the pain/discomfort honestly does not interfere with my day to day. I would say maybe a 1 or 2 at most.

I am having a hard time reconciling surgery with the perceived lack of day to day pain. the doc recommended surgery and said it likely won't get better with PT this time but did admit that most patients who move forward with surgery have more symptoms and more pain.

I'm wondering if anyone else has been in my shoes with moving forward with surgery despite not being extremely symptomatic. doc said I dont necessarily need it if I am willing to stop running (I'm not 🥺) and said I could continue running and keeping an eye on it if I wanted. I feel like I'm at a loss here!

Hi all,

I was just diagnosed with bilateral FAI after some substantive pain that’s been just horrible to be honest.

I went to a doc yesterday who is recommending we go the route of 6-8 weeks PT before seeing if we need to go the injection or surgery route. I’m ready to commit and see if it works, but I need sooooooomething in the meantime. I just tried to do a short walk around a museum and while it didn’t hurt in the moment, the car ride back was excruciating.

I got some biofreeze and lidocain rollers, and I’m taking probably 1,000mg Tylenol daily (doc is aware) and just would love any and all additional recommendations.

FAI/labrum tear symptoms appeared around a year ago on my right side. During this year of trying to rehab, FAI/labrum tear symptoms are now appearing on my left side in addition to the right in the last month or so. Has anyone experienced this? If so did you end up getting bi lateral surgery? I am still lifting 5 days a week. Pain is about a 4/5. The constant pinching is probably the worst part. Occasional groin stabbing if not careful with some movements

Hi all,

It has been less than 24 hours since my hip arthroscopy. I underwent femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) correction with femoral osteoplasty for a CAM lesion, acetabuloplasty for pincer impingement, and labral repair using 5 suture anchors. I also had removal of a femoral intramedullary nail and screws. My surgeon said it was the largest labral tear he has repaired.

As expected, the pain is significant. He mentioned only a limited nerve block was used due to procedural constraints. I understand there will be pain from capsular distension, soft tissue trauma, bony resection, swelling, and the overall surgical insult, but for those who have had a similar procedure, when did the pain begin to settle?

He also advised that I can full weight bear as tolerated immediately, which surprised me as I expected protected weight bearing with crutches only at first. He still recommended using crutches initially for support and gait assistance. Can someone explain the rationale behind allowing weight bearing as tolerated while still advising crutch use in the early phase? And before yous comment yes I understand to take it easy blah blah blah.

Also, is repair with 5 anchors considered extensive for a labral repair, or is that fairly standard depending on tear size and morphology?

Thanks

Hey all, first time posting in this sub. I'm trying to make sense of what im supposed to do and whether to go through with surgery or not.

My hip pain is 90% lateral, and not groin. I saw a specialist who recommended arthroscopy with labral reconstruction (both hips have labral tears) left is ossified and has arthritis developing, though im not sure what tonnis grade yet. It was told to me that arthroscopy would NOT help with lateral pain.

"Sclerosis of the acetabular weight-bearing surface on the left side" as well. CAM lesions with deep sockets.

Stiff hips bilaterally. Left 0 degrees internal rotation 45 degrees, external rotation right is 5 degrees to 40

degrees.

Should I be considering extensive physio and hip replacement with a hip specialist or?

Either way im in a pretty good deal of pain most days. Has anyone gone through with labral reconstruction when they had arthritis in there?

Cheers

Finally have my life together enough to schedule my first hip surgery. I have bilateral FAI and tears. The right hip will go first. I’ve been dealing with this for over 4 years now and it’s time. Last year I reinjured and was in a flare for a good 6 months. Since then I’ve been seeing a personal trainer who has prior experience with this and have come back to a really good baseline and gained a lot of strength and fixing compensation patterns as much as I’m able. I still feel my limits and know I need to. I’m still terrified.

I’m living with my parents currently because I knew I needed surgery. How long has recovery been for anyone and what do I need to help this go as smooth as possible? Living at home is its own challenges and my goal is to move out on my own again but that’s where I’m not sure of timeline towards independence and how long until most felt normal. I know it’s a long recovery.

What else will I need? Is a recliner something I should look into? I think I have most other prep items ready to purchase based on other posts. Also, what about diet and Pt? I’ve lost a good amount of weight have good muscle gain and don’t want to gain weight back after working so hard.

I’m ready but terrified. I really didn’t want to put my life on hold but don’t have a choice since this has stopped me from a lot things (traveling, outdoor activities,etc.).

As always, thank you for the help!

I am 4.5 months post op from right hip arthroscopy labral repair, have been feeling great and able to get back to all ADLs and work requirements, so my surgeon and PT gave me the blessing to start easing into sport - specifically running and horseback riding. I’ve been taking it slow with both, but hooo boy has it flared up my adductors/groin. I’ve been doing ice, massage gun, stretching and PT, and it’s improving but flares right back up when I try activity again.

Does anyone have a) tips and tricks to deal with this and make return to sport less frustrating, or b) encouragement to get through?

Also, runners, how did you build back up after surgery? Right now my PT has me doing 30 sec run 30 sec walk intervals for 10-15 min, at an excruciatingly slow pace (4.0-4.5 on treadmill). Seems super easy in theory but has been a real challenge with these flares.

I had my labral repair and femoraplasty on Thursday. nothing unexpected was found once they were in there. I’m sharing experience as another day point for people to use when they go through it. 1- when I came out of anesthesia I was cold, pain about a six, and my mouth dry was dry and had a nasty taste. they gave me pretzels since I hadn’t eaten in hours but that made my mouth more dry. I’d say have your caregiver bring snack you enjoy and Certs or something like it. 2- nurse chastised me for rubbing my eyes, apparently they dry out during anesthesia and are sensitive 3- I had severe pain that evening and night, I slept poorly, and had an elevated heart rate which did not help. The pain waned overnight. 4- By the morning of day 1 the pain was anywhere from 1-3, totally manageable. 5- day 1 I did PT which consisted of mostly assessment and exercises that are just flexing different muscles. 6- I have an ice machine and CPM, both are great if you have access. I chose to pay out of pocket to rent the CPM. 7- my wound leaked a fair amount of fluid mixed in with a little blood but it looks more bloody than it actually is. anyway, I felt I’d share as many of these items are not really mentioned because people seem to have 0 pain or 10 pain, and there are some trivial but annoying smaller details.

First of all, I’m dumb. Went to PT right around my 6 week post op date, and they were not happy about my progress and amount of scar tissue present. So, that night I decided to take a massage gun and try to break it up myself. Big mistake. Have been in a good amount of pain the past few days now… Could I have possibly caused a retear, or did I just cause a flare because of the gun breaking things up along with just starting external rotation stretches? Pain is the groin area.

Just looking for some veteran reassurance to calm my post op anxiety. Thanks to all, in advance

The Situation: I’ve been diagnosed with Cam Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) in my right hip. It’s significantly impacting my daily life, specifically where the femoral head meets the socket. It flares up on an "on-and-off" basis depending on my activity and stretching consistency.

My Activity Level:

• Cycling: Very active. I ride MTB and Fixed Gear aggressively. Interestingly, cycling often helps, but the aggressive geometry sometimes catches up to me.
• Gym/Running: I stay active but avoid high-impact movements like heavy deadlifts or long-distance running to manage the impingement.
• Work: Mostly sedentary (computer work) and a fair amount of driving, both of which seem to be the biggest triggers for pain.

The Struggle (Nerve/Pressure Sensitivity): My biggest daily hurdle isn't just the movement; it's the external pressure.

• Clothing: I can’t wear tight pants for long. Jeans, belts, and even standard underwear are becoming "no-go" items. I need extremely loose options to avoid triggering pain.
• Sitting/Driving: This is where the impingement feels most restrictive.
• Sleep: Currently sleeping with a pillow under my right hamstring for relief, which helps slightly.

What I’m currently doing:

• Daily stretching and frequent massage therapy.
• Focusing heavily on posture at my desk.

Questions for the community:

1. PT/Physio Advice: Are there specific strengthening or mobilization protocols (beyond just stretching) that helped you manage Cam FAI without surgery?
2. Clothing Recommendations: For those with hip sensitivity, what brands or styles of pants/underwear have you found that don't put pressure on the hip crease or the front of the joint?
3. Ergonomics: Any tips for car seat or office chair setups to keep the hip angle open?
4. Cycling: Any fellow fixed-gear riders have tips on bike fit adjustments to reduce the "pinch" at the top of the pedal stroke?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I’m trying to stay active without letting this dictate my entire wardrobe and comfort level!

Just wanted to share with everyone that after finally feeling fully recovered from bilateral hip impingement surgery in December 2023 and playing soccer and running with no pain for the past few months, that life had other plans for me and 3 days ago I suddenly tore my right achilles playing soccer and within 24 hours I was getting operated by Dr. O’Malley at HSS.

Still in shock that just 3 days ago I was feeling the best I have in 15 years and now I’m recovering from another major surgery.

Life can change on a dime…

So far this recovery is a lot easier since I can actually get around by myself and PT doesn’t start til after 2 week mark.

I can still say my hips feel good though!

I crashed my mountain bike really bad almost 3 years ago and it led to a large hematoma on my left hip, which then left an indent. Since then I’ve had awful sciatica-like symptoms and left lower back (QL muscle pain). For some reason I didn’t attribute the pain to the bike crash, and went through so many ER visits and appointments over the years, looking into spinal disorders and even endometriosis as the cause. I just now got a spinal MRI from a rheumatologist that revealed a portion of a torn labrum and a cyst from the hematoma. I feel crazy for living with this for 3 years without knowing. At this point I still mountain bike, walk, lift weights, and hike, but the pain comes and goes and can get to 15/10 at its worst. I have my ortho appointment next week for a more localized MRI to see just how bad the tear is and to come up with a plan. I’ve already had 5 procedures on my knee and have heard horror stories about labrum surgeries gone wrong. Just looking for support/guidance- has anyone else suffered for years and/or been able to manage with more conservative measures? Is there light at the end of the tunnel if I need surgery? I am in my 30’s and feel like the activities I can tolerate have dwindled more and more with each injury.

Hey good people!

I need some advice and words of encouragement. I'm 4 weeks post op and my main problem is sitting now. I have a feeling of inflation behind (in the glute) when I sit. IN groin it's mostly fine. Sitting less improves this but I need to sit anyways since I need to work (from home). I never sit with 90 degrees, always try to do 100-120 and also use soft orthopedic pillow. I try to alternate with standing desk or even work laying on the couch. None of this seems helping since by the end of week I have flare up and during the weekend becomes slightly better because I can lay more.

Any advices? Should I just lay or stand all the time? I feel that I'm very behind in my recovery because my inflammation never goes away.

Heya,

I hope it is fine to share my (slightly long) story here. I have been feeling extremely low recently because of nonstop pain and fear for the future.. And I just need some hope..

Im 33yo female, always been really energetic, love to dance, run, jump. Never had any issues except for bad vision. 6y ago I had a stress fracture on my foot from running and since then I stopped the only sport I actually liked to do, which was really hard.. Ended up only doing workouts at home, but one thing that I was proud of, was that I was really flexible and could do all sorts of splits while other people my age couldn't. It made me feel special.
A few years later i started having a weird deep pain on my left hip, which came and went. I couldn't figure out what triggered it. Massaging it usually made it worse, and it really bothered me sitting and sleeping on it. but one year later I decided I needed to see a doctor to know what it could be. The MRI results were: hips are healthy, no hip dysplasia, nothing. So I was sent home without even a PT prescription.
6 months later, I was stretching at home (doing some splits), everything felt fine but as I got up and started walking, I felt this horrible pain on my groin. It was so sharp I couldn't walk for a week. Then I went to the doctor and they saw it was a labral tear on my left hip, and suddenly I had hip dysplasia on both hips, which really confused me, since I had previously done 2 MRI at different places without any dysplasia.. And from what I have learn since then, you can't just develop dysplasia, you are born with it.. anyway
I did so much PT and it definitely improved the groin pain, but the previous hip pain I had never went away and 10months later I'm still not 100% back to normal. It was somehow fine since I felt like I still had one good hip with no issues and could still stretch it as much as I could.

3weeks ago, while doing physio at home, I got up and suddenly felt my other hip was painful.. I haven't received the MRI results yet but I am so afraid its a labral tear on my good hip. It has devastated me, since I now can't sleep, sit, or walk without pain.. It is really ongoing and I have been crying almost every day because I feel like I can't trust my body.. I never pushed through pain and now I can't walk or do anything I liked doing with my body and nothing to look forward to.. Even sex is so painful in all sorts of positions..

One specialist doctor I saw only said that the only option for me was PAO, since I am under 40yo and no sign of arthritis. However, what they failed to tell me is that I have osteomalacia (due to an eating disorder I had in my 20s), and PAO is not recommended in these cases.

I am spiralling every day, and I think I just need someone to reassure me... My boyfriend doesn't know how to support me emotionally (hes more practical than emotional, doesn't know what to say), and I feel very alone in this and am losing hope of ever being painfree again..

If you actually read this far, I appreciate you <3

Hi all, I’ve had bilateral repairs in the past 1.5 years and after issues with my first surgeon I finally found a new surgeon who looked into my case further and thinks I need an evaluation for dysplasia and at a minimum a reconstruction if there is no dysplasia. I have Aetna and I’m like 99% sure they will not cover this. Does anyone have Aetna specifically and have had a reconstructions with donor tissue covered? I know a lot of it is up to my specific plan as well but I’m trying to decide how excited I should let myself be about maybe getting out of pain only to have insurance come and block that possibility 😭

27M

Got an MRI after ortho assumed I had a labral tear.

Turns out no labral tear but PVNS?

There is diffuse right hip joint space narrowing with scattered erosions and

diffuse surrounding bone marrow edema within the right acetabular roof and right posterior acetabular wall. There is

mild subchondral edema within the superior aspect of the right femoral head with a small focus of overlying grade 4

chondral loss. There are scattered erosions seen within the right femoral head-neck junction and within the right

femoral neck with surrounding bone marrow edema. There are nodular T2 intermediate-to-hypointense filling defects

within the right hip joint. For example, there is a 1.5 cm nodular filling defect within the right inferomedial right hip joint

recess as is seen on image 13 of the large field-of-view coronal T2 fat-sat series. There is a 2.5 cm filling defect within the

anterior right hip joint recess at the level of the right femoral neck and seen on image 24 of the large field-of-view axial

T2 fat-sat series. These findings are most compatible with PVNS. Differential diagnosis includes other types of

inflammatory arthritides. There is no fracture. There is no definite evidence for avascular necrosis. The right acetabular

labrum is intact. The left hip joint space is preserved. Both sacroiliac joints are patent.

Ligaments and Musculotendinous Structures: There is no appreciable trochanteric bursitis. Both visualized proximal

hamstring tendons and both visualized proximal adductor muscles are intact. There is no muscle atrophy seen. There

are no muscular strains seen.

i’m 10 hours post-op and i was reading my surgery notes. originally i was told that i would be on crutches for 1 week if they did a labral repair and two weeks of they did a labral reconstruction, but after surgery the surgeon had to double check with my parents that i was really only 19 because he ground grade IV chondromalacia (cartilage damage) in my right hip (typically a result of severe osteoarthritis which i am obviously very young for😭😭). after this he put micro fractures in my pelvis to release stem cells for healing or something?? and ultimately did a labral repair.

this means i am nwb/on crutches for 4 weeks instead of 1-2, and i was wondering if anyone else experienced this finding during surgery that wasn’t reflected on imaging, and if it means my recovery time will be significantly longer??

I'm 3.5 weeks post-op and my non operated hip has had a burning sensation this week. Anyone else experience this and find something to remediate it?

I used the search bar here, but most results are for the surgical leg.