Differences in Hip Morphology and Cartilage Composition in Swimmers Experiencing High Rotational Forces

Motivation: Hip osteoarthritis is a prevalent disease that results in pain and loss of mobility. There is no conclusive cause or treatment for this disease. Goal(s): Examine how rotational forces in swimming impact hip joint health by comparing hip morphology and cartilage microstructure in elite collegiate swimmers. Approach: A multi-echo in steady state sequence was used for cartilage segmentation and T2 mapping, and a 3D coronal proton density-weighted CUBE sequence was used for morphological assessment of the femur and acetabulum. Results: Statistically significant correlations were found between hip morphology markers and T2 times in breaststroke swimmers but not in non-breaststroke swimmers. Impact: This study suggested that swim technique may be related to hip morphology and cartilage in elite-level swimmers. This population may be useful to study how specific movements contribute to disease development.