Conditions - CU Sports Med Hip Clinic

Complete Hip Preservation Services Under One Roof

The CU Hip Clinic is unique in that it combines years of unparalleled medical expertise within a variety of functions, allowing patients to receive seamless, state-of-the-art care in a single location. Patients benefit from research-backed, team-based care under the leadership of Dr. Omer-Mei Dan, one of a select few surgeons in the nation who performs both high volume cutting edge hip arthroscopy and dysplasia realignment procedures. This centralized, specialized approach improves patient outcomes and reduces the chance of overlooking or mis-diagnosing less straightforward or common conditions.

Hip Instability & Dysplasia

Dysplasia is a congenital disorder in which the hip socket does not cover the ball part of the joint well, leading to poor function of the hip joint. This can be from suboptimal position of the socket, low socket volume, or both, which then gives rise to hip instability, or excessive translational motion and increased shear forces within the joint....

Labrum Tears

Labral tears most commonly occur due to repetitive injury in the setting of long-standing hip impingement (FAI) or hip instability (dysplasia), but may also occur from a combination of both pathologies as it is common to see dysplasia and FAI at the same time (too much bone of the ball side, not enough on the socket side). Less commonly, a...

Hip Impingement

The term femoroacetabular impingement (or FAI) refers to a condition in which movement of the hip joint is restricted due to abnormal bony contact between the ball and hip socket. A common cause of FAI is a developmental abnormality of the ball resulting in bony overgrowth (cam lesion), which abuts against the rim of the socket during hip flexion and...

Trochanteric Bursitis

Trochanteric bursitis refers to an inflammation of the trochanteric bursa that typically develops over several weeks to months, causing pain and dysfunction. The condition is correlated with low back pain and degenerative disc disorders of the lumbar spine as well as with pelvic injuries and surgeries. As the lumbar and pelvic muscles become deconditioned, excessive stress is placed on the...

Hip Arthritis

When cartilage damage to the hip is extensive and there is not enough cartilage in the hip to allow for consistent pain free weight bearing, the hip joint may not be salvageable. In this case, a hip replacement surgery may be the best treatment option to allow for improved function and decreased hip pain.

Cartilage Damage

The hip is a synovial joint that is lined with smooth articular (surface) cartilage that also functions as a shock absorber. The joint is further lubricated with synovial fluid (joint fluid) creating a low friction environment for the femur (ball) to rotate and glide within the acetabulum (socket). Depending on the type of activity, forces transmitted across the hip joint...

Hamstring Tears

The hamstrings include three separate muscles (semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris) that run along the back of the hip and knee joints. Collectively, they function to extend the hip and flex the knee during activities such as running and jumping. They originate on a part of the pelvis called the ischial tuberosity, a prominence that can be felt as the...

Hip Abductor Injury

The hip abductors (comprised of the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles) are often referred to as the “rotator cuff” of the hip. They function to abduct the hip and also to stabilize the pelvis while in single-leg stance (during running, jumping, pivoting, cutting or when going up and down the stairs…). Hip abductor tendon injuries or tears are diagnosed...

Knee Arthritis

Arthritis is diagnosed by combining clinical symptoms (pain, stiffness, swelling, deformity) with radiographic (x-ray) findings (joint space loss, bone spur formation, cysts). Occasionally, patients will present with radiographic evidence of arthritis and have minimal clinical symptoms. Even if the x-rays show “bone-on-bone” arthritis, the treatment is always guided by the clinical symptoms and not the radiographic findings.

“Today I climbed two 14ers and just wanted to pass on the good news! I actually feel really good. Somewhat tight, but no pain!! I would love for you to pass the message onto Dr. Mei Dan. I know I’m not done with surgery, but Thank you for leading me to a pain free life!”

— Madison Flicker