Sources and quality of literature addressing femoroacetabular impingement

PURPOSE: In the last 5 years, there has been an increasing interest in the concepts, pathoanatomy, and management of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). The aim of this study was to determine the trends in FAI literature with specific emphasis on the quality and source of publications in the literature. METHODS: A systematic review of two electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE) was conducted to identify FAI-related publications from 2005 to 2010. Studies were included if they were published in peer-review journals and were written in English. Abstracted data included year of publication, study design, type of study, level of evidence, number of patients and hips, gender, weighted mean age of patients, and type of journal. RESULTS: There were 298 relevant studies. Between 2005 and 2010, there was an approximate fivefold increase in the number of FAI-related publications. Most of these studies came from the orthopaedic literature (197 articles or 66 %), while the remainder arose from other medical specialties. The majority of publications consisted of level 4 and 5 studies (248 articles). There were no level 1 studies identified. CONCLUSION: Between 2005 and 2010, there has been a dramatic increase in FAI-related publications, but high-quality studies are still lacking. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.