How can there be a cam lesion on my hip xray now when there was not a cam lesion on my xray from 3 yrs ago(25 yrs old, athlete)?

Grew: Cam lesions of the hip cause pain because of the impingement of the femoral head/neck on the rim of the acetabulum. Certain hips are predisposed to it (deep acetabulum) and can with time and activity develop a bump. Evaluation requires taking a history, adequate exam with diagnostic studies like a MRI or ct scan.

Good question. The old exam may not have been the ideal projection. The best radiograph is modified Dunn view. The lesion may have been smaller on the prior and not every doctor is familiar with the appearance of cam lesion, especially a small cam. Bottomline, if u have cam lesion u should see hip specialist to correlate XR findings with your history and exam and then discuss treatment options