May 2, 2019 - Appointment with Sports Medicine ortho MD (finally a diagnosis!)

I had my appointment with the sports medicine ortho surgeon. They took some x-rays at the clinic with my legs in different positions than my first x-rays back in August. This was done so they could make some measurements of my bones. Then I described my pain to the physician assistant. After the PA did some testing positions, Dr. Hagen came in and did more testing positions. Dr. Hagen said that the MRI shows a labral tear but the X-ray they took shows why the label tear exists in the first place: I have Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI). More specifically the pincer kind where there is an overextension of the socket of my pelvis that gets compressed and inflamed with each step. Luckily the cartilage is still intact and there is no damage to the bone yet. 

Dr. Hagen stated the next step was ultrasound-guided steroid/lidocaine injection into the hip. It is a diagnostic procedure, meaning it helps the doctor determine the location of my pain source. Hip pain can often be caused by injury somewhere else outside of the hip. If the lidocaine numbs the pain, then the source of my pain is from within the joint. If it does not numb the pain, the source is not from the hip. The corticosteroid is an anti-inflammatory that may settle the inflammation enough to allow healing and eliminate the need for surgery. If there is no improvement from the injection, I am to make a follow-up appointment with Dr. Hagen one month after the injection, probably to schedule surgery. Very lucky for me, they had an injection appointment available at the clinic the very next day so I can get the injection before flying back to California and have my follow up appointment a month from now! She thought the outer hip pain is abductor tendonitis compensatory for the FAI and labral tear, it should go away after core-strengthening physical therapy and treatment of the FAI.

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