femoroacetabular impingement caused by cysts

[daisy9]

I am having trouble researching what I have been diagnosed with and I wonder if this has been written down correctly.  I have lost the ability to spread my legs more than 1 foot between my knees, and I am unable to cross my legs (one ankle over the opp. knee).  This started in my left side and has now spread to my right.  The person who read my xray to me said I had cysts on both sides causing "femoral acetabular impingement" (from my referral) and that I needed an MR arthrography and to see an orthopedist. She said I'd likely need surgery on each side but that it would be minor surgery, but that I might need it quickly.  But I can't find anything about this type of impingement being caused by cysts.  Am I understanding this correctly?  Also, it will be a while before the referral and I am in pain and frequently injure my groin area- does walking or sitting make this worse in the meantime?  Is there any permanent damage being done when I move?  I go to physical therapy and we've been trying to stretch those areas.
Thanks very much in advance.

[star queen]

If you make a fist with one hand and place it in the palm of the other you will mimic the hip joint.  The fist is the head of the femur (your leg) and the palm is the acetabulum, or the part of the bone in the pelvis.  When you walk or cross your legs, the leg (fist) part of the bone moves around in the acetabulum (palm) freely and painlessly.  When you have anything that is in the joint that will prevent the free motion there, it is called an impingement.  If you take a bead and put it between the fist and the palm and then move them, that bead will cause impingement and pain.  The bead is your cyst.  As it grows, the impingement increases and the pain increases. Nerves may become pinched and blood vessels may become pinched reducing blood to the area, which can kill bone.  An arthrogram is an xray where a dye is injected into the joint and watched to see where it goes.  This will show how bad the impingement is, if any bone death has occured, and will show all of the cysts, their size, shape, and location. The doctor will know by the size and location of the cysts if any blood vessels or nerves are being pushed on by the cysts. With your problem, this is an important test to have done.  It is actually better than an MRI or a CT with this type of problem.  A proper diagnoses and treatment plan, including surgery, may be planned depending on the results of this test.  You should get the test soon, continue with physical therapy and work with the doc and the therapist on a plan that will keep your joints healthy. Hope this helps.

[blackrose]

No the physical therapy is not damageing it.In fact it helps build up the hip joints.Having the surgery done might fix it,if not it is normal to have symptoms after.But if they have caught it in time you should not have symptoms,any more.Make a list of questions to ask your orthopedic surgeon,when you go on Dec.1Take care of your self until then.