A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial Comparing Conservative Treatment With Trunk Stabilization Exercise to Standard Hip Muscle Exercise for Treating Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Pilot Study.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of conservative management of women with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) using trunk stabilization.

Design: Randomized controlled trial (level of evidence: I).

Subjects: Twenty FAI female patients who met the inclusion FAI criteria.

Methods: A prospective, randomized, controlled study was performed on 20 female patients with symptomatic FAI comprising 2 groups (10 hips in trunk stabilization exercise group vs 10 hips in control group). We evaluated hip range of motion, isometric muscle strength using a handheld dynamometer (μ-TasMF-01; Anima, Co), and patient-reported outcome measures, including modified Harris hip score, Vail hip score, and international hip outcome tool 12 (iHOT12) before and at 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the intervention.

Results: There was a significant improvement in the range of motion of hip flexion in the trunk training group detected as early as 4 weeks after the intervention compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Hip abductor strength significantly improved in the trunk training group at 4 weeks after the intervention, whereas it did not improve in the control group (P < 0.05). Vail hip score and iHOT12 were significantly increased at 8 weeks after the intervention in the trunk training group compared with the control group (iHOT12: 78.7 ± 22.4 vs 53.0 ± 22.3; P < 0.01, Vail hip score: 81.6 ± 18.5 vs 61.1 ± 11.6; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the modified Harris hip score between both the groups at 4 and 8 weeks after the intervention.

Conclusions: The addition of trunk stabilization exercise to a typical hip rehabilitation protocol improves short-term clinical outcomes and may augment nonoperative and postoperative rehabilitation.