# Hip structure and function in young female athletes

> **NIH NIH R01** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · 2024 · $165,000

## Abstract

Nearly two-thirds of the young adults diagnosed with or treated for structural hip pathology are females, yet
females are vastly underrepresented in the research investigating how hip structure develops. This high female
prevalence is not only true for acetabular dysplasia, but also for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)
syndrome, a condition characterized by hip pain, clinical signs, and excess bone on either the proximal femur
(cam morphology) or the acetabulum (pincer morphology) that contributes to impingement and hip pain. While
cam was initially recognized primarily in males, current evidence confirms that over 80% of females with FAI
syndrome have cam morphology. As bone responds to load in predictable ways (Wolff’s law), it is likely that
regular participation in sports prior to skeletal maturity would influence the resulting hip structure. Compelling
evidence of this adaptation exists for males, but female athletes have been vastly understudied. This work,
therefore, will address this research disparity and investigate how female participation in specific sports
influences hip structure at different levels of skeletal maturity. In this cross-sectional, observational study, we
will evaluate hip structure and function in 150 girls ages 8 to 17 years old. We will recruit girls who play
competitive “hip-risk” sports (sports known to have an increased prevalence of cam morphology in female
adults) and girls who do not play organized sports (controls). We will obtain MRIs of bilateral hips to
characterize the structure of the femur and acetabulum. We will capture multiple measures of function (i.e.,
range of motion, movement control, performance) and obtain clinical measures of ligamentous laxity and
symptoms. We will also collect pubertal and maturation status, and quantify activity level using surveys and
accelerometry measures. We will determine whether female athletes who participate in hip-risk sports differ
from controls in hip structure or function, and if so, at what maturity level differences emerge. At the completion
of this study, we will have compiled the necessary data to facilitate the design and future implementation of
high-quality clinical and longitudinal studies by determining critical time periods for observation and
intervention. While the development of cam morphology is insidious and the sequelae are delayed, risk
reduction efforts similar to programs for acute sports-related injury (e.g., FIFA-11+, neuromuscular training)
have a high potential to improve hip health across the lifespan.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10877307
- **Project number:** 1R01AR083148-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- **Principal Investigator:** Cara L Lewis
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $165,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-11 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10877307

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10877307, Hip structure and function in young female athletes (1R01AR083148-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10877307. Licensed CC0.

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