Ischiofemoral Impingement, An Atypical Cause of Gluteal Pain: A Case Report

BACKGROUND: This is a case of unilateral gluteal pain in a 54-year-old woman. CASE REPORT: The patient presented with a 4-month history of left buttock pain after a traumatic fall. Her pain was exacerbated primarily while sitting. Pelvic x-rays showed bilateral acetabular dysplasia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the left femur without contrast was significant for ischiofemoral impingement (IFI), including compression of the quadratus femoris (QF). The QF space displayed a minimum dimension of 0.7 cm. The patient was scheduled for an ultrasound-guided QF injection, but cancelled the procedure due to symptomatic improvement with supportive care. CONCLUSIONS: IFI has become increasingly recognized as an uncommon cause of posterior hip, gluteal, or groin pain. Diagnosis of IFI can be challenging given the broad differential and potential for multiple etiologies of pain. Acetabular dysplasia leads to increased femoral anteversion. Thus, patients with acetabular dysplasia may be vulnerable to the development of IFI. KEY WORDS: Ischiofemoral impingement, acetabular dysplasia, ischiofemoral impingement, buttock pain, gluteal pain, case report