Longitudinal Follow-up of Male Soccer Players Prone to Developing CAM Hip Deformity

Completed

• Conditions: Femoro Acetabular Impingement; CAM
• Interventions: Radiation: bi-planer radiography (EOS), Conventional radiography (Hip+pelvis)

• Registration Number: NCT04418596
• Lead Sponsor: Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

Brief Summary

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a clinical problem in which abnormal contact occurs between the thighbone and the hip socket. In intensive, mostly still young, male athletes, this problem seems to be related to a bony deformity on the head of this thighbone, a so-called CAM. FAI itself gives rise to pain symptoms, but in time can even lead to premature osteoarthritis. However, the cause of a CAM deformity itself, nor how FAI then arises, is insufficiently known. In view of FAI prevention and its better treatment, this project thus tries to better understand the underlying mechanisms. For this purpose, we will combine detailed biomechanical evaluations of specific movement patterns with advanced medical imaging and state of the art clinical evaluations to longitudinally follow up a group with a known high risk of developing a CAM deformity, being young male elite soccer players. Findings within this study will be additionally compared with similar analyses performed in patients with FAI. This research aims to thus form a basis to define novel (sports-specific) training schemes for the prevention of FAI, but also to define the actual treatment and rehabilitation plans in more patient-specific and a better-informed way.

Detailed Description

This is a longitudinal follow-up study in which subjects are invited for data collection twice, the baseline time-point and the two years time-point.

Population:

12-16 years old male soccer players (40 elite level players , and 40 recreational level players)

In both data collection time-points the following measurements are preformed:

1. Clinical screening of hip joint

2. Radial MRI of bilateral hips

3. Biplanar and conventional x-ray Imaging of hip and pelvic region

4. Athlete-specific 3D motion analysis

5. Questionnaires on injury history and physical activity levels.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-09-01
• Study First Submitted: 2020-06-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-06-03
• Study First Posted: 2020-06-05
• Primary Completion: 2024-05-15
• Study Completion: 2024-05-15
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-04-10
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Male
• Target Recruitment: 27

Inclusion Criteria

• For the the Elite Group: Playing soccer at high level and training for more that 10 hours a week
• For the Control group: Playing soccer or any other sport recreationally for a less than 5 hours a week

Exclusion Criteria

• No prior history of major trauma or injury to the lower limbs and spine
• No prior history of neurological conditions that can effect movement and mobility

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Recreational Soccer players (control)	bi-planer radiography (EOS), Conventional radiography (Hip+pelvis)	Adolescent male aged 12-16 years old recruited from ordinary school in Flanders Belgium that play soccer or any other sport recreationally with no high intensity training
Elite Soccer Players	bi-planer radiography (EOS), Conventional radiography (Hip+pelvis)	Adolescent male aged 12-16 years old elite athletes that are recruited from special sport school in Leuven-Belgium and play football at a high level.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
The formation of CAM deformity on the anterior head-neck junction of the femur	two years post baseline measurements	Detected using alpha angle on MRI/ Dunn's View x-ray

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Leuven Hospitals; 🇧🇪 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium