Incidence of symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement in the general population: a prospective registration study

Groin pain is a frequent cause of discomfort in patients and highly prevalent in active patients. One of the diagnoses causing groin pain is femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). However, the incidence of FAI in the general population is unknown. This study aimed to identify the incidence of groin pain suggestive of FAI in a cohort of 31 451 patients in the Netherlands during 1 year. A cooperation of 16 general practitioners (GPs) participated in this prospective registry. All GPs were educated in the clinical manifestation of FAI and the physical examination for FAI. Patients of all ages were registered when presenting with ‘groin pain’. Between July 2013 and July 2014, 84 patients aged between 15 and 60 years of age presented with groin pain, reflecting an incidence of 0.44%. Of these patients, 17% (14 patients) were radiologically diagnosed with FAI. Another 30% of these patients had a high clinical suspicion for FAI. This is the first report on the incidence of groin pain suggestive of FAI in a general population diagnosed by GPs. Of all 84 patients presenting with groin pain, 17% were diagnosed with FAI. Creating awareness of FAI in GPs helps identifying patients that might benefit from FAI treatment.