Relationship of acetabular dysplasia and femoroacetabular impingement to hip osteoarthritis: a focused review

Hip osteoarthritis (OA) leads to significant functional limitations and economic burden. If modifiable risk factors for hip OA are identified, it may be possible to implement preventative measures. Bony abnormalities associated with acetabular dysplasia (AD) and femoroacetabular impingement have been recently implicated as risk factors for hip OA. The purpose of this focused review is to summarize the available evidence describing the relationship between bony abnormalities and hip OA. A librarian-assisted database search with PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL was performed. Relevant articles were identified and assessed for inclusion criteria. The authors reviewed cohort and case-control studies that reported on the association between abnormal hip morphology and hip OA. The available literature suggests that an association exists between bony abnormalities found in AD and femoroacetabular impingement and hip OA, and preliminary evidence suggests that AD is a risk factor for OA; however, these conclusions are based on limited evidence. Prospective, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the causal relationship between abnormal hip morphology and the future development of hip OA.