Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome (FAIS)
Swimming is one of the most physically demanding sport on the body. The repetitive flexion and rotation motions, particularly with the breaststroke and butterfly stroke, may overload the hip and cause femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS), or more simply hip impingement. Such an injury is commonly seen in high-demand populations such as athletes. A commonly used treatment modality is hip arthroscopic surgery, which has been shown as a reliable operation to reducing pain, improving function, and provide patients with good to excellent outcomes with low complication rates. As with any sports injury, families and coaches may worry about when an athlete can return to play after surgery. In this case series, this study evaluated the rates of return to swimming for patients who entered our clinics. Amazingly, 100% of patients successfully were able to return to swimming and 93% returned to the same level or higher level of performance compared to their pre-injury level regardless of age, sex, or BMI. Additionally, patients reported high clinical outcome scores and an average satisfaction rating above a 9/10. With an average time to return of around 3 to 4 months, this investigation provides critical information to council athletes and families on their expectations with respect to returning to swimming after hip arthroscopy for FAIS.