Simultaneous Bilateral Hip Arthroscopy

Accelerated Bilateral Hip Arthroscopy (1 Week Apart): Outcomes Compared With Delayed Bilateral Procedure (4-12 Weeks) and Case-Control Matched Unilateral Arthroscopy

BACKGROUND

Staged bilateral hip arthroscopy is an option for athletes who have symptomatic bilateral femoroacetabular impingement; however, the optimal timing of the second procedure is unknown.

PURPOSE

To evaluate minimum 2-year outcomes for patients undergoing accelerated bilateral arthroscopy against those undergoing (1) delayed bilateral and (2) unilateral arthroscopy.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed of prospectively collected data from patients undergoing bilateral primary hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement between 2009 and 2022. Inclusion criteria entailed competitive athletes with concurrent bilateral symptoms at initial presentation. Exclusion criteria (either hip) were Tönnis grade >1, dysplasia (lateral center-edge angle <25°), Perthes disease, protrusio acetabuli, and avascular necrosis. Two groups were established based on the duration between procedures: within 7 days (accelerated group) and within 4 to 12 weeks (delayed group). Patients from the accelerated group were matched in a 1:2 ratio with patients undergoing unilateral surgery based on age ±2 years, sex, and athletic status. Minimum 2-year postoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs) (including modified Harris Hip Score, University of California Los Angeles activity scale, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), rates of achieving the minimal clinically important difference, rates of continuing to play main sport, and satisfaction were compared between groups.

RESULTS

A total of 131 athletes (262 hips) with bilateral femoroacetabular impingement were included: 91 in the accelerated group and 40 in the delayed group. Duration between surgeries was 0.99 ± 0.02 and 6.35 ± 2.18 weeks, respectively. All accelerated athletes were each successfully matched to 2 athletes with unilateral procedures (N = 182). All 3 groups demonstrated significant improvement from baseline across all PROs (P < .001 for all). Acquired change in PROs was similar and not significantly different between groups (P > .05). Satisfaction with relief from pain was achieved by 85.9% of patients in the accelerated group compared with 83.1% in the delayed group (P = .053) and 87.3% in the unilateral group (P = .933). The minimal clinically important difference for the modified Harris Hip Score was achieved by 84.9% of patients in the accelerated group compared with 91.5% in the delayed group (P = .212) and 87.6% in the unilateral group (P = .456). At 2 years postoperatively, the continue-to-play rate was 73.6% for the accelerated group compared with 77.1% for the delayed group (P = .577) and 73.0% for the unilateral group (P = .903). There were no increased complications associated with the accelerated group.

CONCLUSION

Accelerated bilateral hip arthroscopy 1 week apart was a safe and effective treatment option for athletes with bilateral symptoms. Improvement in PROs and continue-to-play rates were comparable with those after a delayed duration between procedures and with those case-control matched athletes undergoing unilateral arthroscopy.

Staging Bilateral Hip Arthroscopies Less Than 1 Year Apart May Reduce the Risk of Revision Surgery

PURPOSE

To identify the influence of timing between staged bilateral hip arthroscopy on 90-day postoperative medical complications and 2-year surgical complications including revision, conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA), and infection.

METHODS

The Mariner data set of the PearlDiver all-payer claims database was queried for patients undergoing staged bilateral hip arthroscopy. Patients were stratified into cohorts based on time between arthroscopies: (1) ≤3 months, (2) 3 to ≤6 months, (3) 6 to ≤12 months, and (4) >1 year. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to control for any confounding variables.

RESULTS

In total, 998 patients underwent staged bilateral hip arthroscopy out of 38,080 patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy. The 2-year revision rate was 7.6% for all patients undergoing bilateral hip arthroscopy, while 1.9% of patients underwent conversion to THA. Patients with arthroscopy procedures staged less than 1 year apart (cohorts 1, 2, and 3) had significantly decreased risk of revision compared to the greater than 1 year cohort (P = .008, .025, and .044, respectively). There were no differences in rates of major medical, minor medical, or remaining surgical complications between the cohorts. Direct comparisons between the cohorts staged ≤1 year apart showed no significant differences in medical or surgical complications (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The revision rate in all patients undergoing staged bilateral hip arthroscopy was 7.6%. Staging hip arthroscopy ≤1 year apart was associated with a decreased risk of revision when compared to the staged cohort >1 year. Among those staged less than 1 year, the timing of staging had no association with rates of medical or surgical complications. Patients who are indicated for bilateral hip arthroscopy may benefit from staging under 1 year apart to reduce the risk of revision surgery. Optimal timing decisions may be patient specific and rely on the duration of symptoms, severity of pathology, or progression of rehabilitation after the index procedure.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III, retrospective comparative study.

Editorial Commentary: Bilateral Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: What We Know Now and Where Do We Go From Here?

Patients with bilateral femoroacetabular impingement syndrome treated with either staged or simultaneous hip arthroscopy have similar postoperative outcomes compared with patients undergoing unilateral procedures. A longer duration between surgeries is associated with inferior outcomes; however, the reasons underlying this trend are unclear. Identifying prognostic variables that are associated with contralateral symptom onset and disease progression are important goals for future investigation.

Bilateral versus unilateral hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement: a systematic review

One in four patients presenting with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has bilateral symptoms, and despite excellent outcomes reported after arthroscopic treatment of FAI, there remains a paucity of data on the outcomes following bilateral hip arthroscopy. This systematic review aims to examine the outcomes following bilateral (either ‘simultaneous’ or ‘staged’) versus unilateral hip arthroscopy for FAI. A systematic review of multiple electronic databases was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and checklist. All studies comparing simultaneous, staged and/or unilateral hip arthroscopy for FAI were eligible for inclusion. Case series, case reports and reviews were excluded. All study, patient and hip-specific data were extracted and analyzed. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. A meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity among outcome measures. A total of six studies, including 722 patients (42.8% male) and 933 hips were eligible for inclusion. The mean age across patients was 35.5. The average time between staged procedures was 7.7 months. Four of the six studies were retrospective cohort studies, while the remaining two were prospective in nature. The overall quality of the eligible studies was found to be good. No significant difference was noted among patient-reported outcomes (modified Harris hip score, hip outcome score and non-arthritic hip score), visual analog scale, return to sport, traction time and complications between those undergoing bilateral (simultaneous or staged) versus unilateral hip arthroscopy. Based on the current available evidence, bilateral hip arthroscopy (whether simultaneous or staged) exhibits similar efficacy and safety when compared with unilateral hip arthroscopy. However, further prospective study is required to confirm this finding.

Risk Factors for Bilateral Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome Requiring Surgery

Purpose:

To identify the risk factors for contralateral surgery in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

Methods:

Patients who underwent unilateral surgery were compared with those who underwent staged bilateral surgery to identify risk factors associated with bilateral surgery. Variables examined included demographics, comorbidities, and radiographic features. Binary logistic regression was used to identify predictors of bilateral FAIS.

Results:

A total of 694 patients with an average age of 34.0 ± 13.1 years met were included in the analysis. Overall, 109 patients (15.3%) had staged bilateral hip arthroscopy for FAIS. Risk factors associated for bilateral FAIS requiring surgery were decreased age and lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Compared with patients aged <25 years, those aged 25 to 34 years (odds ratio [OR], 0.5; P = 0.031), 35 to 44 years (OR, 0.5; P = 0.034), and ≥45 years (OR, 0.3; P = 0.002) had lower odds of bilateral labral tear. In addition, patients with a CCI <2 were three times more likely to require bilateral FAIS surgery (OR, 3.4; P = 0.044). None of the radiographic parameters predicted bilateral labral tears.

Conclusion:

Patients younger than 25 years and those with a CCI <2 had markedly increased rates of bilateral FAIS necessitating surgery compared with older patients. This study may be of value in preoperative counseling.