PTOtherThe Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy2018

Kinematic Differences During Single-Leg Step-Down Between Individuals With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome and Individuals Without Hip Pain.

Cara L Lewis, Kari L Loverro, Anne Khuu

PMID 29510652

WHAT IT FOUND

During a single-leg step-down, people with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome showed, on average, 4.9° more hip bending and 4.1° more forward pelvic tilt than people without hip pain.

This was a movement difference, not a treatment result.

Key findings

01At 60° of knee flexion during descent, individuals with FAIS showed 4.9° more hip flexion and 4.1° more forward pelvic tilt than individuals without hip pain.

02At 60° of knee flexion, females showed 6.1° more hip flexion, 4.8° more hip adduction, 5.8° more forward pelvic tilt, 1.4° more pelvic drop, and 2.7° more thigh adduction than males.

03People with FAIS reported worse hip function and pain on standard questionnaires than people without hip pain.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs

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What it does not show

This was a cross-sectional comparison, so it cannot show whether the movement pattern caused FAIS pain or resulted from it. Only 20 people with FAIS were studied, and the sex and morphology analyses were not powered enough to draw firm conclusions. The comparison group was not imaged, so some pain-free people may have had cam or pincer shape without FAIS symptoms. Alpha angle and center-edge angle measurements were not available for the FAIS group; morphology was taken from clinicians or, in one case, from a participant. The UCLA activity score was designed for patients after hip replacement, not specifically for people with FAIS. All participants had to be able to walk safely for 10 minutes without assistance, so the findings may not apply to people with more severe disability. The combined sex, group, and side effect for knee abduction angle did not lead to clear follow-up comparisons, so it is difficult to interpret.

Declared interests

The supplied text does not report funding or conflicts of interest.

The easy way to misread this

Do not read the 4.9° and 4.1° differences as proof that correcting these movements will relieve FAIS pain. The study measured movement in people who already had FAIS and did not test treatment.

Read it on PubMed →