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Hip Hip Hooray
21 June 2018

Hip Hip Hooray

In some people, the ball of the hip’s ball-and-socket joint (arrow) is actually slightly egg-shaped causing it to rub unevenly in the socket. While this may not cause problems for many people, for individuals who are especially active, such as football players and other athletes, the result can be a painful and debilitating condition called hip impingement. In fact, the condition is thought to be the commonest cause of groin pain in footballers and is often misdiagnosed as chronic groin strain. The conservative treatment for hip impingement is physical therapy, but new research shows that arthroscopy – a form of keyhole surgery that allows doctors to repair the damage and, if necessary, reshape the ball joint – is considerably more effective, restoring movement and reducing pain faster. For footballers suffering the pain of egg-shaped balls, then, a trip to the hip surgeon may be the quickest route back to the pitch.

Written by Ruth Williams

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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