Clinical Decision-Making in FAIS

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Femoracetabular Impingement

In brief

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome is increasingly recognized as a contributor to cartilage injury and early hip osteoarthritis. Both structured conservative care and arthroscopic surgery can improve pain and function, but a major unresolved clinical problem is deciding who should continue conservative care and who should escalate to surgery, and when. Evidence indicates that shorter symptom duration before surgery is associated with better long-term improvement, meaning delays may reduce the chance of achieving meaningful recovery. Current decision-making still depends largely on static imaging and passive clinical examination, which do not capture the dynamic, movement-related nature of the condition, while advanced three-dimensional imaging and laboratory motion analysis are not practical for routine clinical monitoring. This study aims to address this gap by developing and validating feasible, clinic-ready dynamic assessment methods and integrating weight-bearing pelvic and spinal alignment with three-dimensional hip modeling to support more objective, individualized, and timely treatment decisions.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07536295

Run by

Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

People needed

60

Starts

2026-07-01

Expected to finish

2029-07-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-06

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 35. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Voluntary written informed consent of the participant or their legally authorized representative has been obtained prior to any screening procedures
• Male or Female, Age 18-35 years inclusive.
• First consultation at participating site with clinical diagnosis of FAIS by a hip orthopaedic surgeon, including positive impingement tests and reduced hip ROM in the transverse plane compatible with FAIS.
• Radiographic cam and/or pincer morphology on standard imaging (e.g. α-angle >60°, lateral center-edge angle >40°, crossover sign) as per local protocol.
• Willingness and ability to participate rehabilitation and complete the recommended physiotherapy sessions and attend scheduled follow-up visits.
• Ability to perform basic squat / hip-hinge tasks safely in the motion lab, as judged by the treating clinician.

You may not qualify if…

• Previous surgery on the bilareral hip.
• History of major hip trauma or pediatric hip disease (e.g. Slipped capital femoral epiphysis, Perthes disease).
• Developmental dysplasia (lateral center-edge ≤20°) or other severe structural deformity incompatible with the standard FAIS pathway.
• Radiographic signs of hip degeneration (Tönnis grade >2).
• Other musculoskeletal conditions that significantly interfere with assessments (e.g. symptomatic lumbar disc disease, severe knee pathology, recent adductor muscle pathology).
• Contraindications to MRI (e.g. non-MRI compatible pacemaker or implant, severe claustrophobia not manageable with standard care).
• Contraindications to X-ray or MRI related to pregnancy: known pregnancy at any time, or positive pregnancy test prior to imaging; breastfeeding women will not undergo additional research imaging.
• Inability to perform basic squat/hip-hinge tasks safely (e.g. due to balance, pain or cardiopulmonary limitations).

Where it is running

• Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven — Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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