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

Integrated Longitudinal Research on the Etiology of CAM Deformity in Adolescent Male Elite Soccer Players and Matched Control

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Femoro Acetabular Impingement; CAM
• Intervention / Treatment: Radiation: bi-planer radiography (EOS), Conventional radiography (Hip+pelvis)

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 Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 27

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Flanders
    • Leuven, Flanders, Belgium, 3000
      • University of Leuven Hospitals

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years to 17 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adolescent healthy males that are starting the final age of skeletal maturity(12-18 years of age). The 2 groups of the study are separated principally on the frequency and intensity of their athletic training.

Description

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 Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Elite Soccer Players; 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.	Radiation: bi-planer radiography (EOS), Conventional radiography (Hip+pelvis); low dose radiation medical imaging to visualise the hip joint and lumbo-pelvic complex specifically.; Other Names: Clinical Screening; Motion Analysis
Recreational Soccer players (control); 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	Radiation: bi-planer radiography (EOS), Conventional radiography (Hip+pelvis); low dose radiation medical imaging to visualise the hip joint and lumbo-pelvic complex specifically.; Other Names: Clinical Screening; Motion Analysis

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

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

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
• Collaborators: Johnson & Johnson
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Stijn Ghijselings, M.D., Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 15, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): May 15, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 3, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 3, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): June 5, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 11, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 10, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Musculoskeletal Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Joint Diseases; Femoracetabular Impingement
• Other Study ID Numbers: S62916

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No