Diagnose Femoral Acetabular Impingement Syndrome ACCURATELY [Physical Therapist’s Guide]

By dpope2020

May 30, 2025

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Diagnose Femoral Acetabular Impingement Syndrome ACCURATELY [Physical Therapist's Guide]

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In today's video we go over how to Diagnose Femoral Acetabular Impingement Syndrome ACCURATELY [Physical Therapist's Guide]

🔎 How to Diagnose FAI Fast? This video is your step-by-step clinical guide to assessing and differentiating Femoral Acetabular Impingement Syndrom from other hip pathologies so you can sharpen your diagnostic accuracy and deliver more targeted treatment to your patients.

You’ll learn:

✅ What defines FAI and why imaging alone isn't enough

✅ How to spot classic symptoms like the “C-sign” and pain with sitting

✅ Which hip ranges are most commonly painful or limited

✅ How to perform and interpret key special tests

✅ Common FAI mimics

✅ Palpation strategies to rule in/out hip flexor and adductor strains

✅ Tips for improving specificity during differential diagnosis

Timeline:

  • 0:00 - Intro
  • 0:12 - FAI Diagnosis Difficulties
  • 0:54 - FAI Defined
  • 1:36 - Prevalence & Populations
  • 1:48 - Symptom Location
  • 2:12 - What Aggravates It?
  • 2:36 - Other Symptoms
  • 2:46 - Objective Findings
  • 3:51 - A Word Of Caution
  • 4:30 - Anterior Impingement Test
  • 4:45 - FADDIR Test
  • 5:03 - Range of Motion Testing of Hip IR in Neutral
  • 5:35 - FABER Test
  • 5:54 - Scour Test
  • 6:23 - Internal Rotation Overpressure Test
  • 6:43 - Resisted Straight Leg Raise
  • 7:05 - Thomas Test
  • 7:50 - Differential Diagnosis
  • 9:05 - Snapping Hip Syndrome
  • 10:28 - Radicular Low Back Pain
  • 11:43 - FAI vs. Strains & Tendinopathy
  • 14:20 - Gluteal Tendinopathy

It's a labral tear!!!

- Dan Pope DPT,OCS,CSCS

Show Notes / Relevant Articles:

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Thank you!

Dan Pope DPT, OCS, CSCS

References: 

  1. Clohisy JC, Knaus ER, Hunt DM, Lesher JM, Harris-Hayes M, Prather H. Clinical presentation of patients with symptomatic anterior hip impingement. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2009 Mar;467(3):638-44. doi: 10.1007/s11999-008-0680-y. Epub 2009 Jan 7. PMID: 19130160; PMCID: PMC2635448.
  2. Griffin DR, Dickenson EJ, O'Donnell J, Agricola R, Awan T, Beck M, Clohisy JC, Dijkstra HP, Falvey E, Gimpel M, Hinman RS, Hölmich P, Kassarjian A, Martin HD, Martin R, Mather RC, Philippon MJ, Reiman MP, Takla A, Thorborg K, Walker S, Weir A, Bennell KL. The Warwick Agreement on femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI syndrome): an international consensus statement. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Oct;50(19):1169-76. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096743. PMID: 27629403.
  3. Pasculli RM, Callahan EA, Wu J, Edralin N, Berrigan WA. Non-operative Management and Outcomes of Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2023 Nov;16(11):501-513. doi: 10.1007/s12178-023-09863-x. Epub 2023 Aug 31. PMID: 37650998; PMCID: PMC10587039.
  4. Pålsson A, Kostogiannis I, Ageberg E. Combining results from hip impingement and range of motion tests can increase diagnostic accuracy in patients with FAI syndrome. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2020 Oct;28(10):3382-3392. doi: 10.1007/s00167-020-06005-5. Epub 2020 Apr 25. PMID: 32335699; PMCID: PMC7511272.
  5. Anterior hip muscles Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Gray430.png Attribution: Henry Vandyke Carter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Edited by Fitness Pain Free LLC