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Normal hip morphology in ballet dancers cannot explain groin pain discrepancy

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GENEVA — Some ballet dancers present with painful inguinal pain due to labral or cartilage lesions that result from extreme hip movements, while others prove asymptomatic despite having those same lesions, according to research presented at the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy Congress 2012, here.

Even though Victoria B. Duthon, MD, and colleagues identified 20 adolescent ballet dancers with normal hip morphology and range of motion compared to a control group of 15 asymptomatic women in the same age range, MRI results of the dancers in a split position showed 90% of them have labral or cartilage lesions. Twelve of the 20 ballet dancers had hip pain, according to the results.

“Dancers have typical femoroacetabular impingement lesions, but with normal hip morphology and in superior [and] posterior-superior positions,” Duthon said. “After given time to indicate for revisions, [and given] the symptoms and the lesions we found on MRI, we all should be aware of our surgical indications with dancers.”

The women who participated in the study completed a hip pain questionnaire, had an MRI, were examined for anterior impingement and underwent passive hip range of motion (ROM) measurement. The dancers had what was considered normal hip ROM, but with a trend for increased flexion, external rotation and abduction compared with the controls, Duthon noted. The collected data was unable to help the team make any conclusions about why the clinical and MRI results were so different in the study, she said.

Reference:

Duthon VB, Charbonnier C, Christophe FK, et al. Correlation of clinical and MRI findings in professional dancers’ hip: A new femoroacetabular impingement? Paper #FP29-650. Presented at the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy Congress 2012. May 2-5. Geneva.