What Is Hip Conflict? What Do You Need To Know About Him?

Hip or hip conflict is a recently described pathology that is also known as femo-acetabular conflict. This name is due to the fact that it involves the alteration of two main elements of the joint: the head of the femur and the acetabulum.

This disease affects a large part of the population. Experts estimate that 15% of the population between the ages of 20 and 50 suffers from this disease. Moreover, 75% of those who suffer from it are athletes.

In other words, hip conflict is a pathology that overwhelms young, active people, such as ballet dancers and martial arts. It starts with a pain in the groin that spreads and worsens. Early treatment of this pathology will avoid many complications.

Due to its frequency and importance, today’s article will explain everything you need to know about hip injuries.

Where does hip conflict come from?

As already mentioned, another name for this pathology is the femoral acetabular conflict. To understand this, we must first understand the anatomy of the hip joint.

The hip is a joint that consists of the acetabulum (which is the concave part of the pelvic bone) and the head of the femur (convex) bone, which is the main bone of the leg. These are two spherical surfaces that give the naked eye an image of a ball rotating inside the socket.

In some cases, the femur deforms and does not fit properly in the acetabulum. In other cases, the edge of this “socket” or cup covers the ball too much. Either way, the result is the same: the femoral head cannot rotate properly in the acetabulum.

This causes what is known as a hip conflict. Changing some of its parts causes the contact to be irregular. When the two parts collide continuously, it damages the articular cartilage. Over time, the joint can further degenerate and cause osteoarthritis.

Hip trauma is one of the leading causes of hip osteoarthritis in young adults.

What are the causes of this pathology?

First of all, a change in the development of a joint during childhood can cause hip trauma. This happens in many pathologies, such as acetabular dysplasia or Perthes disease.

However, half of people who have changes to their hip anatomy don’t even experience symptoms. Even so, they usually experience them as soon as they increase their physical activity or engage in certain sports.

Second, another cause of hip collisions is activities in which there is continuous movement of the legs and hips. By repeating certain movements over and over again, two parts of the hip collide and wear occurs. It usually affects people who are into rhythmic or artistic gymnastics, or martial arts.

What are the symptoms of a hip injury?

Symptoms appear after the joint has been overused and the cartilage has already been damaged. They usually start with pain in the groin that gradually increases. Moreover, the pain is worsened with movements involving the hip. For example, a person may experience difficulties when it comes to squatting or crossing the legs.

Another common symptom is joint stiffness in this area. This means that pain is not the only factor limiting flexion and internal rotation of the leg. Stiffness in the hip also plays a role.

In addition, people who suffer from hip conflict often experience a crunch when moving. What’s more, they can even mistake the pain for sciatic pain, and it can extend down to the knee.

What treatment is available?

This pathology has a complex treatment that depends on the intensity of the injury and the pain it causes. Once diagnosed, the first thing patients have to do is change the activity that triggered the problem.

For athletes, it is important to be less active and avoid exercises in which the hips are flexed. Moreover, the patient should perform specific physiotherapy exercises for this area.

Another treatment option is to inject hyaluronic acid into the joint. This substance allows the cartilage to regenerate slightly and helps to relieve symptoms. However, when the injury has progressed or there has been significant hip osteoarthritis, treatment is usually surgical. Some options include a hip prosthesis.

To sum up

Hip Conflict is a pathology that causes a lot of pain to young people and athletes who experience a lot of pressure on the joint. Therefore, it is important to see your doctor as soon as possible to start treatment and prevent the injury from worsening.