Sports Medicine:
Hip & Upper Leg
Expert Support Where You Need It Most
The hip and upper leg are made up of a complex mix of components including bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues. Damage to any of these can cause pain or mobility issues — with potential long-term disability if left untreated.
The upper leg contains several muscles and tendons that cross the hip. These structures must function properly to keep the hip stable and able to support our entire body through standing, walking, and athletic activities. When an injury occurs, these structures often require treatment and rehabilitation to restore proper function.
Here at Orthopaedics East & Sports Medicine Center, we can have extensive experience and expertise in non-surgical and surgical options to treat sports hip or upper leg pain or injuries to get you back on your feet and back on the field.
Labral Tear
The hip is shaped like a ball and socket. The socket is called the acetabulum, and the ball is the femoral head, located at the top of the thighbone (femur). A hip labral tear is an injury to the labrum, the soft tissue that covers the acetabulum, which helps the femoral head move smoothly and without pain in the socket.
Snapping Hip
Snapping hip is when you feel a snapping sensation or hear a popping sound in your hip when you’re active. The sensation occurs when a muscle or tendon moves over a bony protrusion in your hip. Although usually painless and harmless, the sensation can be annoying and, in some cases, can lead to bursitis, a painful swelling of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the hip joint.
Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
FAI occurs when bone spurs develop around the femoral head and/or along the hip socket. Spurs cause abnormal contact between the hip bones and prevent them from moving smoothly. They can lead to pain and arthritic changes within the joint. There are three types of FAI impingements: cam, pincer and combined.
COMMON ISSUE
Other Common Issues
- Quad tendon rupture
- Hamstring tear
- Sprains and fractures
Hip Arthroscopy
Hip arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that allows doctors to view the hip joint without making a large incision. It is used to diagnose and treat a wide range of hip problems. Arthroscopy is used in treating numerous athletic injuries, including:
- Labral tears
- Bones spurs (can cause a condition called “impingement”)
- Injuries to the cartilage surfaces
- Hip instability
- Ligamentum teres injuries
- Snapping hip syndromes (internal and external)
- Loose body removal
Hip arthroscopy can also be used as a diagnostic tool for long-standing, unresolved issues that cannot be clearly visualized on other imaging tests like X-ray or MRI. The benefits of this advanced, minimally invasive treatment are vast, and Orthopaedics East & Sports Medicine Center is highly skilled and experienced in this advanced technique.
Schedule an appointment today with one of Eastern North Carolina’s leading orthopedic and sports medicine physicians!
