No difference in the incidence of radiographic subspinal impingement of the hip between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

This study determined the incidence of subspinal impingement in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, the morphological features in symptomatic patients and the risk factors for subspinal impingement.
The cohort consisted of 427 patients with mechanical symptoms who underwent CT arthrography and 259 individuals in the control group who underwent three-dimensional CT for urolithiasis or minor trauma. Two orthopaedic surgeons reviewed the images and assessed the incidence of subspinal impingement and its relationship with the morphological abnormalities. The radiographic parameters were further compared between the groups with and without subspinal impingement among symptomatic patients.
The incidence of subspinal impingement in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients was 65/427 and 40/259 respectively. Structural bony abnormalities in symptomatic patients were not associated with the presence of subspinal impingement. Statistical analysis showed that young age was the only significant factor for subspinal impingement.
Subspinal impingement had a similar incidence in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients and was not rare in either group. The clinical significance of subspinal impingement in symptomatic patients should therefore be re-evaluated in further studies.
Source: “Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy”, December 2016