Return to Sport Following Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) can present with debilitating symptoms in an athlete, affecting both their level of performance and activities of daily life. The prevalence of FAI in the athletic population is greater than in the general population, but the reasons are unknown. The rate of return to sport following surgery for FAI has been a popular research topic, and results have been promising. However, there are still a significant number of athletes who do not return to their sport. Additionally, the rate of return to previous level of competition has largely been neglected in the literature, which is arguably more important than the rate of return to sport. The literature is varied regarding radiographic assessment of FAI, patient reported outcome measures, time to follow-up, and overall methodological quality. This chapter aims to review risk factors for failure of return to sport, and predictors affecting the return to previous level of competition in the athlete after FAI treatment.