Professional golfers’ hips: prevalence and predictors of hip pain with clinical and MR examinations

<jats:sec><jats:title>Aims</jats:title><jats:p>This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hip pain in professional golfers, comparing the lead (left hip in right-handed golfer) and trail hips, and to establish what player characteristics predicted hip symptoms.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Male elite professional golf players were invited to complete questionnaires and undergo clinical and MR examinations while attending the Scottish Hydro Challenge 2015. Questionnaires determined player demographics, self-reported hip pain and an International Hip Outcome Tool 12 (iHOT12) score (hip-related quality of life). Clinical examinations determined hip range of motion and the presence of a positive impingement test. MR scans determined the presence of labral pathology and player hip morphology with measures of α angle (cam), acetabular depth (pincer) and femoral neck antetorsion.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>A total of 109 (70% of tournament field) of players completed questionnaires, 73 (47%) underwent clinical examination and 55 (35%) underwent MR examination. 19.3% of players reported of hip pain. 11.9% of lead and 9.1% of trail hips were painful (p=0.378), iHOT12 scores were lower in the lead (94.1) compared to the trail hip (95.3) (p=0.007). Stepwise multiple linear regression modelling was able to predict 20.7% of the variance in iHOT12 scores with mean α angles between 12 and 3 o'clock, and increasing age-significant variables (R<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>=0.207, p&lt;0.001; β=−0.502, p&lt;0.001 and β=−0.399, p=0.031, respectively).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>19.3% of male professional golfers reported hip pain. The presence of an increasing α angle and increasing age were significant predictors of reduced hip-related quality of life.</jats:p></jats:sec>