Prevalence of femoroacetabular impingement in the general adult population: A systematic review of population-based studies.

Authors

Wen Xian Low, Ignatius Liew, Mary Fortune, Vikas Khanduja

Published in

International orthopaedics. Jun 22, 2026. Epub Jun 22, 2026.

Abstract

To determine the global, population-based prevalence of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS), radiological cam, pincer, and mixed morphologies, as well as normative values for the alpha angle and lateral centre-edge angle (LCEA) in the adult general population.
MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to October 2025 for population-based studies reporting the prevalence of FAIS, prevalence of radiological cam, pincer, or mixed morphologies, and/or alpha angle and LCEA in the adult general population. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for prevalence studies.
18 studies from eight countries (n = 72,852; mean age 63.8, range 20-96) were included. Only one study (n = 500) reported FAIS prevalence of 3.0% [95%CI: 1.5%-4.5%]. Prevalence of radiological cam, pincer, and mixed morphologies ranged between 7.3%-38.2%, 7.6%-17.9%, and 1.41%-1.60% respectively. Reported alpha angles ranged between 43.6º and 55.0º, and reported LCEA ranged between 29.9º and 39.4º. Definitions varied for cam (alpha angle ≥ 60º in 63.6%) and pincer morphologies (LCEA ≥ 40º in 62.5%), with 14 studies (78%) relying solely on AP radiographs for analysis. Only two studies (11%) came from a low- or middle-income country.
Population-based studies on the prevalence of FAIS are scarce, leaving its true prevalence largely unknown. Studies reporting the prevalence of radiological cam, pincer, and mixed morphologies exhibit considerable heterogeneity in diagnostic criteria and imaging modalities. High-quality, population-representative studies using standardized criteria and three-dimensional imaging techniques are needed to improve understanding of the global burden of FAIS and its associated radiological morphologies.

PMID:
42329261
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Jun 2026.

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