Heavy Soccer Playing Before Age 12 Linked to Later Hip Deformity

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Heavy Soccer Playing Before Age 12 Linked to Later Hip Deformity

In a study of Dutch professional footballers, a bone deformity at the hip was much more common among men who started playing the sport at least four times a week before age twelve.

If the bones of the hip don’t develop normally during childhood, a so-called cam deformity can occur, with extra bone growing near the ball-shaped top of the femur, potentially leading to joint damage and pain, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Cam deformities begin to show up on X-rays in early adolescence, and tend to be more common among males and athletes in high-impact sports, the authors of the new study note in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

On average, the players had started practicing soccer at an amateur level around age six, and entered a professional football club, which would require four or more sessions per week, between ages 12 and 13.

Cam deformities make the “ball” part of the hip’s ball-and-socket less round, which can increase the risk of osteoarthritis later, Tak said. People who play ice hockey, football and basketball often have cam deformities, he said.

“During puberty and as a result of changing testosterone hormone balance, the growth plate weakens around the age of 12-13, making it even more sensitive to displacement or deformity,” Audenaert told Reuters Health by email.

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