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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02408276

Longitudinal Evaluation of Hip Cartilage Degeneration: FAI

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is one of the most common mechanisms leading to the development of early cartilage and labral damage in the non-dysplastic hip. Anatomic abnormalities of the proximal femur and/or acetabulum result in repetitive injury during dynamic hip motion, leading to abnormal regional loading of the femoral head-neck junction against the acetabular rim. The resulting damage to the cartilage, labrum, and surrounding capsular structures predispose the patient to developing hip pain and early osteoarthritic changes. Clinically, patients with FAI are a heterogeneous group, with a wide array of presentation from pain to instability that may or may not be related to activity. To date no studies have identified specific prognostic indicators associated with successful surgical treatment of FAI, leaving surgeons without adequate criteria to determine which patients are best suited for arthroscopy. The investigators propose to address this critical knowledge gap by identifying the patient characteristics and morphological features of the hip that are associated with the optimal clinical outcomes in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy or non-operative management for treatment of suspected FAI in order to establish a treatment algorithm for FAI patients.

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Key information

Conditions

Femoroacetabular Impingement Femoracetabular Impingement Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Age range

10 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Hospital for Special Surgery

New York, 10021, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • All patients 35 years of age or younger enrolled in the HSS Hip Preservation Registry prior to September 30, 2016 with an MRI confirmed diagnosis of FAI will be eligible for inclusion in this study regardless of surgery status.
  • Patients who agree to participate must complete a baseline questionnaire consisting of: 1) Modified Harris Hip Score (MHHS), an overall measure of hip condition; 2) the Hip Outcome Score (HOS), a measure developed specifically for younger active patients that measures quality of life and levels of sports and recreation; and 3) International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT33), a newly developed hip specific outcome score, which measures a number of subscores relating to physical and social functioning with hip problems.

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients over age 35 will be excluded as the focus of this study is early changes that may predispose to later degenerative changes.
  • Patients undergoing revision hip arthroscopy as their first treatment in the Registry will not be eligible, as these are patients who have failed initial therapy.
  • Patients with no complete questionnaires at any time point will be excluded.

Treatment and study plan

dGEMERIC MRI technique

Other

Patients will be treated surgically (hip arthroscopy) or nonoperatively (physical therapy) and pain medications as needed. For surgical patients, cartilage samples and surgeon operative reports will be a source of research. For both cohorts, MRIs, radiographs and patient reported outcome surveys will be additional research sources.

All tests and imaging are part of standard of care except follow up MRI, which will be performed in a random group from within the cohort and paid for through this grant.

Primary outcomes

  1. degree of cartilage degeneration

    Time frame: 5 years post operation

    degree of cartilage degeneration at 5 years post-presentation based on changes in cartilage morphology assessed using MRI (a two-dimensional fast spin echo sequence in the coronal and sagittal planes).

Secondary outcomes

  1. dGEMERIC MRI measurements

    Time frame: 2 year post operation

    We will use MRI to localize and measure chondral and labral abnormalities to determine whether extent, location, or type of defect affect the outcome of hip arthroscopy in FAI.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Registry information

Official study title

Longitudinal Evaluation of Hip Cartilage Degeneration: the Effect of Femoroacetabular Impingement

Important dates

Study start
2014
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Apr 3, 2015
Registry last updated
Dec 22, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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