ISHA Webinar - Inter-related hip/pelvic conditions - Mysteries of the lower extremity kinetic chain

Date: Saturday August 23rd, 2025

Program Synopsis:

The hip and pelvis are integral components of the lower extremity kinetic chain, and disorders in one area often have a cascading impact on the others. Understanding the complex relationships between hip, pelvic, and lower limb conditions is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. This “Open Access” webinar will explore the interconnectedness of hip and pelvic disorders, delving into how imbalances, dysfunctions, and pathologies can influence the entire kinetic chain, often leading to misdiagnosis or treatment challenges.

Through a series of expert-led discussions, case studies, and interactive demonstrations, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how conditions such as hip impingement, pelvic instability, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, and musculoskeletal compensations can manifest together, and how to approach diagnosis and treatment with a holistic perspective. The webinar will highlight key clinical insights, advanced imaging techniques, and multidisciplinary treatment approaches to unravel the mysteries of these interrelated conditions.

Key Topics:

• Key Topics:

  1. Hip / Knee: Interrelationship and Biomechanical Impact

     • Understanding the connection between hip and knee mechanics, particularly in conditions like hip osteoarthritis, knee valgus, and malalignment.
     • How dysfunction in the hip (such as impingement or labral tears) affects knee kinematics and contributes to knee pain or injury.
     • Diagnostic approaches to differentiate between hip and knee pathologies that share overlapping symptoms, such as anterior knee pain or gait abnormalities.
     • Management strategies that address both the hip and knee to optimize functional recovery.

  2. Hip and Pelvic Core: Stabilization and Dysfunction

     • The role of the pelvic core (including the pelvic floor, muscles, and ligaments) in maintaining hip stability and preventing injury.
     • How pelvic instability can contribute to hip pain, labral tears, or degeneration.
     • Exercises, rehabilitation, and surgical interventions aimed at strengthening the hip-pelvic core complex.
     • The impact of pregnancy, childbirth, and aging on the pelvic core and its relation to hip function.

  3. Hip / Spine: Interconnected Biomechanics and Pain Syndromes

     • Examining how misalignments or disorders in the lumbar spine and pelvis can contribute to hip pain, such as through altered gait or referred pain patterns.
     • The effects of hip pathologies, such as hip osteoarthritis, on lumbar spine mechanics, and how this may exacerbate spine conditions like degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis.
     • How to differentiate between primary hip pain and secondary pain arising from the spine.
     • Multidisciplinary treatment approaches combining spinal care and hip interventions for comprehensive patient management.

  4. Kinetic Chain Relationships: The Synergy Between Lower Extremity Joints

     • The importance of the lower extremity kinetic chain and how dysfunction in one joint (e.g., hip, knee, or ankle) can affect the others.
     • Analyzing the impact of poor posture, muscle imbalances, and abnormal movement patterns on hip and lower limb function.
     • How issues such as hip impingement, knee valgus, and foot overpronation can result in compensatory mechanisms throughout the kinetic chain.
     • Evaluation and treatment strategies to restore proper alignment and function across the entire kinetic chain, ensuring long-term stability and injury prevention.

  5. Primary Hip Pathology and the Need for Contralateral Hip Surgery

     • Understanding the relationship between unilateral hip pathologies (such as hip osteoarthritis or femoroacetabular impingement) and the development of contralateral hip issues.
     • The high prevalence of ACL injuries in patients with hip pathology
     • The biomechanical impact of a diseased or painful hip on the contralateral hip, and how compensatory mechanics may accelerate degeneration in the unaffected hip.
     • Indicators for considering contralateral hip surgery in patients with unilateral hip disorders, and strategies for optimizing outcomes through a staged approach.
     • Long-term prognosis and patient management when addressing both hips, including considerations for timing, rehabilitation, and surgical planning.

Target Audience: This webinar is ideal for orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists, physiotherapists, pain management specialists, and other healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of hip and pelvic disorders.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of the interrelated nature of hip, pelvic, and lower extremity conditions within the kinetic chain.
• Learn to identify and manage complex cases involving overlapping musculoskeletal pathologies.
• Understand the role of advanced imaging and diagnostic techniques in differentiating and diagnosing multiple conditions.
• Explore holistic treatment strategies, including conservative care, surgical intervention, and rehabilitation.
• Appreciate the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to treating complex hip/pelvic conditions.

Join us for this engaging session to unravel the mysteries of the lower extremity kinetic chain and gain practical tools to enhance your clinical practice when managing interrelated hip and pelvic conditions.

Start Time: 14:00 BST / 09:00 AM EDT / 15:00 CEST /10:00 GMT-3

Duration: 90 minutes

Faculty:

Chair – Dr Brian Giordano (USA)

Remaining faculty TBC

AI Translation available