Influence of Acetabular Labral Tear Length on Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome With Capsular Plication

Long-term Survivorship and Outcomes of Patients Without Dysplasia Undergoing Capsular Repair During Primary Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of literature evaluating long-term outcomes and survivorship of patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy with capsular repair for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

PURPOSE

To report 10-year survivorship and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after primary hip arthroscopy with capsular repair for FAIS and evaluate the effect of capsular repair in patients at the highest risk for conversion to arthroplasty.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed on all patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy with capsular repair between October 2008 and February 2011. Patients with a minimum 10-year follow-up on the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), and visual analog scale for pain (VAS) scores were selected. The preoperative and minimum 10-year follow-up Hip Outcome Score-Sports Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS) scores were also reported, if available. Patients with ipsilateral hip surgery, worker's compensation, Tönnis osteoarthritis grade >1, and hip dysplasia (lateral center-edge angle <25°) were excluded. Survivorship, PROS, and clinical benefit-minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS)-were reported. An additional propensity-matched subanalysis was performed on patients at the highest risk for conversion to arthroplasty, comparing patients undergoing capsular repair to patients with unrepaired capsules.

RESULTS

A total of 145 (n = 130 patients) out of 180 eligible hips (n = 165 patients) had a minimum 10-year follow-up (80.6%). Also, 126 hips (86.9%) belonged to women, and 19 hips (13.1%) belonged to men. The mean patient age was 30.3 ± 12.9 years. The survivorship rate was 91% at the 10-year follow-up. The cohort experienced significant improvements (P < .001) in the mHHS, NAHS, HOS-SSS, and VAS for pain scores. Moreover, the cohort achieved high rates of the PASS for the mHHS (89.8%), high rates of the MCID for the mHHS (82.4%), and high rates of the MCID for VAS for pain (80.6%) scores. In the propensity-matched subanalysis performed on patients with the highest risk for arthroplasty, 29 hips with capsular repair were matched to 81 hips with unrepaired capsules. While both groups experienced significant improvements in all PROs (P < .05), the group without capsule repair trended toward a higher conversion to arthroplasty rate when compared with the repair group. In addition, an odds ratio was calculated for the likelihood of converting to arthroplasty after having an unrepaired capsule compared with capsular repair (2.54 [95% CI, 0.873-7.37]; P = .087).

CONCLUSION

Patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy with capsular repair experienced a high survivorship rate of 91% at a minimum 10-year follow-up. Patients who did not convert to arthroplasty saw favorable improvements in PROs and achieved high clinical benefit rates. In addition, among those patients at the highest risk for conversion to arthroplasty, a trend toward greater survivorship was observed with capsular repair.

Association Between Severity of Chondrolabral Junction Breakdown and Functional Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopy for Acetabular Labral Tears

BACKGROUND

Despite focus on surgical preservation of the chondrolabral junction (CLJ), the transition zone between the acetabular cartilage and labrum, the association between severity of CLJ breakdown and functional outcomes after hip arthroscopy remains unexplored.

PURPOSE

To assess the influence of CLJ breakdown on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) at a 24-month follow-up after hip arthroscopy for symptomatic labral tears.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

A retrospective review of prospectively collected data was conducted to identify patients ≥18 years of age with a minimum 24-month follow-up who underwent hip arthroscopy by a single surgeon for the treatment of symptomatic labral tears secondary to femoroacetabular impingement. The Beck classification of transition zone cartilage was used to grade CLJ damage; patients with grades 0 to 2 were stratified into the mild CLJ damage cohort, and those with grades 3 and 4 were stratified into the severe CLJ damage cohort. PROMs were collected at baseline and at 3, 6, 12 months, and annually thereafter postoperatively. Linear mixed-effects models were used to compare PROMs. Rates of achieving clinically meaningful thresholds and subsequent surgery rates were also compared.

RESULTS

In total, 198 patients met the inclusion criteria, with a mean follow-up of 3.54 ± 1.26 years. A total of 95 patients with severe CLJ damage (mean age, 34.9 ± 10.5 years) were compared with 103 patients with mild CLJ damage (mean age, 38.2 ± 11.9 years). Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), and visual analog score for pain were inferior in the severe CLJ group at enrollment and all follow-up time points (P≤ .05). However, patients with severe CLJ breakdown exhibited greater improvements in HOS-ADL and NAHS at the 24-month follow-up and achieved clinically meaningful thresholds at equivalent rates to patients with mild CLJ breakdown. Subsequent surgery rates were 6.8% and 12.6% in patients with mild versus severe CLJ damage, respectively (P = .250).

CONCLUSION

Severe CLJ breakdown is associated with increased pain and decreased functional level preoperatively and up to 24 months after hip arthroscopy. Despite this, patients with severe CLJ breakdown experienced greater improvements in functional outcomes at a 24-month follow-up and achieved clinical thresholds at similar rates to patients with mild CLJ damage. Thus, while worse baseline pain and functional levels may indicate severe CLJ breakdown, these patients still benefit substantially from hip arthroscopy.

Borderline Hip Dysplasia Is Not Associated With Significant Differences in Hip Survivorship or Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Primary Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Propensity-Matched Cohort Study

PURPOSE

To compare hip survivorship and patient-reported outcomes after primary hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) in patients with versus without comorbid borderline hip dysplasia (BHD) at 2-year follow-up.

METHODS

A retrospective matched-cohort study was conducted involving patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS with a single surgeon from 2010 to 2019. BHD was defined as lateral center edge angle (LCEA) of 20 to 25°. Subjects with BHD were matched 1:2 to controls without BHD on age, sex, body mass index, and preoperative modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS). Alpha angle, LCEA, Tönnis angle, and acetabular retroversion signs were measured on preoperative and/or postoperative hip radiographs. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the mHHS and the Non-Arthritic Hip Score. Hip survivorship, outcome scores, and achievement of the minimum clinically important difference were compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher exact test, as appropriate. P values <.05 were considered significant.

RESULTS

Thirty-one BHD subjects (mean age 36.8 years, 71.0% female) and 62 controls (mean age 38.0 years, 71.0% female) were included. There were no significant intergroup differences in demographics or preoperative radiographic measurements besides LCEA and Tönnis angle (all P > .05). Intraoperatively, subjects with BHD were found to have significantly shorter labral tears (mean 2.6 vs 2.8 clock-face hours, P = .048), but there were no significant intergroup differences in acetabular or femoral cartilage status (all P > .05). Postoperatively, there were no significant intergroup differences in rates of revision arthroscopy (BHD 6.5% vs control 11.3%) or conversion to total hip arthroplasty (BHD 9.7% vs control 1.6%), in 2-year improvement of the mHHS and Non-Arthritic Hip Score, or in minimum clinically important difference achievement rates (all P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

BHD is not associated with a significant difference in hip survivorship or patient-reported outcomes following primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, retrospective comparative study.

The correlation between hip alpha angle and acetabular labral tear location and size: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Explore the correlation between hip morphology and labral tear location/size.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed patients with hip pain who received magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography at our institution, between January 2017 and December 2020. Imaging analysis includes labral tear location and size, and hip morphology measurement with alpha angle, lateral center-edge (CE) angle, anterior CE angle, and femoral neck version. The correlation between hip morphology angles and labral tear location/size was evaluated using multiple regression, followed by stratification analysis with Chi-square test to investigate interactions between the variables.

RESULTS

A total of 103 patients (105 hips) with hip pain who received MR arthrography (mean age, 50 years ± 15 [SD]) were included, with mean alpha angle of 57.7° ± 9.9° [SD], mean lateral CE angle of 32.6° ± 6.8° [SD], mean anterior CE angle of 58.2° ± 8.1° [SD], mean femoral neck version of 17.1° ± 8.2° [SD]. Large alpha angle (>57°) and older age were both correlated with superior and posterosuperior labral tear incidence ( p < 0.05) and larger tear size ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, alpha angle is significantly correlated with superior labral tear incidence in young-age subgroup (age <45 years) ( p < 0.05), also significantly correlated with posterosuperior labral tear incidence and larger tear size in middle-age subgroup (45 ≤ age ≤ 60 years) ( p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

A large alpha angle (>57°) is significantly correlated with increased incidence of superior and posterosuperior labral tear, and larger tear size in patients with hip pain, and the relationships depend on age.

Both Labral Debridement and Labral Repair Result in >90% Total Hip Arthroplasty-free Survival at 5-Year Follow-Up: An Analysis of the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU)

PURPOSE

To compare clinical outcome parameters between labral debridement and repair by analyzing the dataset of a multinational registry.

METHODS

The data are based on the hip module of the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU). The register included patients designated for cartilage or femoroacetabular impingement surgery (up to July 1, 2021; n = 2725). The assessment consisted of the patient's characteristics, the type of labral treatment, the length of labral therapy, the pathology, the grade of cartilage damage, and the type of performed approach. The clinical outcomes were documented by the international hip outcome tool via an online platform. Separated Kaplan-Meier analyses were used for total hip arthroplasty (THA)-free survival rates.

RESULTS

The debridement group (n = 673) showed a mean score increase of 21.9 ± 25.3 points. The repair group (n = 963) had a mean improvement of 21.3 ± 24.6 (P > .05). The 60-month THA-free survival rate was 90% to 93% for both groups (P > .05). A multivariance analysis showed that the grade of cartilage damage was the only independent statistically significant factor (P = .002-.001) influencing patients' outcomes and THA-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Labral debridement and repair led to good and reliable results. However, these results should not be interpreted with the conclusion that the cheaper and technically easier labral debridement is the recommended treatment due to comparable results in the present study. The clinical outcome and the THA-free survival seemed to be more influenced by the grade of cartilage damage.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, retrospective comparative therapeutic trial.

Sex-Based Differences in Prevalence, Outcomes, and Complications of Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Trends between the sexes have been reported regarding prevalence, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and complications of hip arthroscopy (HA) for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS), yet current results lack consensus.

Purpose

To evaluate sex-based differences after HA for FAIS in (1) prevalence of cam and pincer morphology in FAIS and (2) PROs, pain scores, and postoperative complication rates.

Study Design

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

The EMBASE, PubMed, and Ovid (MEDLINE) databases were searched from establishment to February 28, 2022, according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Included studies had sex-based data on prevalence, outcomes, and complications of HA for FAIS. Reviews and commentaries were excluded. Data were combined, and between-sex differences were analyzed. Meta-analyses using random-effects models were performed when possible. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and standardized mean differences were calculated.

Results

A total of 74 studies were included (213,059 patients; 132,973 female hips [62.4%] and 80,086 male hips [37.6%]). The mean age was 30.7 ± 7.7 years among male patients and 31.1 ± 7.8 years among female patients. Male patients experienced mixed-type impingement significantly more often (39.4% vs 27.2% for female patients; RR = 0.69 [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.81]; P < .001), whereas female patients experienced pincer-type impingement more often (50.6% vs 30.8% for male patients; RR = 2.35 [95% CI, 1.14-4.86]; P = .02). Male patients had higher likelihoods of undergoing femoroplasty (89.8% vs 77.4% for female patients; RR = 0.90 [95% CI, 0.83-0.97]; P = .006), acetabuloplasty (67.1% vs 59.3% for female patients; RR = 0.87 [95% CI, 0.79-0.97]; P = .01), or combined femoroplasty/acetabuloplasty (29.2% vs 14.5% for female patients; RR = 0.63 [95% CI, 0.44-0.90]; P = .01). Although female patients showed greater improvements in Hip Outcome Score-Sport-Specific subscale (P = .005), modified Harris Hip Score (P = .006), and visual analog scale pain (P < .001), both sexes surpassed the minimal clinically important difference at 1, 2, and 5 years postoperatively. Female patients had higher complication rates (P = .003), although no sex-based differences were found in total hip arthroplasty conversion rates (P = .21).

Conclusion

Male patients undergoing HA for FAIS had a higher prevalence of mixed-type FAIS while female patients had more pincer-type FAIS. Female patients gained greater improvements in PROs, although both sexes exceeded the minimal clinically important difference, suggesting that both male and female patients can benefit from HA.

Moderators, Mediators, and Prognostic Indicators of Treatment With Hip Arthroscopy or Physical Therapy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: Secondary Analyses From the Australian FASHIoN Trial

BACKGROUND

Although randomized controlled trials comparing hip arthroscopy with physical therapy for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome have emerged, no studies have investigated potential moderators or mediators of change in hip-related quality of life.

PURPOSE

To explore potential moderators, mediators, and prognostic indicators of the effect of hip arthroscopy and physical therapy on change in 33-item international Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33) score for FAI syndrome.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

METHODS

Overall, 99 participants were recruited from the clinics of orthopaedic surgeons and randomly allocated to treatment with hip arthroscopy or physical therapy. Change in iHOT-33 score from baseline to 12 months was the dependent outcome for analyses of moderators, mediators, and prognostic indicators. Variables investigated as potential moderators/prognostic indicators were demographic variables, symptom duration, alpha angle, lateral center-edge angle (LCEA), Hip Osteoarthritis MRI Scoring System (HOAMS) for selected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features, and delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) score. Potential mediators investigated were change in chosen bony morphology measures, HOAMS, and dGEMRIC score from baseline to 12 months. For hip arthroscopy, intraoperative procedures performed (femoral ostectomy ± acetabular ostectomy ± labral repair ± ligamentum teres debridement) and quality of surgery graded by a blinded surgical review panel were investigated for potential association with iHOT-33 change. For physical therapy, fidelity to the physical therapy program was investigated for potential association with iHOT-33 change.

RESULTS

A total of 81 participants were included in the final moderator/prognostic indicator analysis and 85 participants in the final mediator analysis after exclusion of those with missing data. No significant moderators or mediators of change in iHOT-33 score from baseline to 12 months were identified. Patients with smaller baseline LCEA (β = -0.82; P = .034), access to private health care (β = 12.91; P = .013), and worse baseline iHOT-33 score (β = -0.48; P < .001) had greater iHOT-33 improvement from baseline to 12 months, irrespective of treatment allocation, and thus were prognostic indicators of treatment response. Unsatisfactory treatment fidelity was associated with worse treatment response (β = -24.27; P = .013) for physical therapy. The quality of surgery and procedures performed were not associated with iHOT-33 change for hip arthroscopy (P = .460-.665 and P = .096-.824, respectively).

CONCLUSION

No moderators or mediators of change in hip-related quality of life were identified for treatment of FAI syndrome with hip arthroscopy or physical therapy in these exploratory analyses. Patients who accessed the Australian private health care system, had smaller LCEAs, and had worse baseline iHOT-33 scores, experienced greater iHOT-33 improvement, irrespective of treatment allocation.

Sex-Based Differences in Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopic Surgery for Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

While sex-based differences in outcomes after hip arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) are often recorded, no studies have been dedicated to analyzing the literature as a whole.

PURPOSE

To investigate whether sex is a predictor of outcomes in studies evaluating hip arthroscopic surgery for FAIS.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Ovid, and PubMed Central databases for English-language studies that evaluated sex-specific outcomes in human populations. The search terms used were as follows: ("Hip Arthroscopy") AND ("Femoroacetabular Impingement" OR "FAI") AND ("Sex" OR "Gender" OR "Male" OR "Female"). Studies with evidence levels 2 through 4 were included. The studies were then screened, followed by data extraction. Modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) outcomes and return-to-sport (RTS) rates were recorded. These were analyzed using random-effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was calculated using the I ² statistic.

RESULTS

Of 256 full-text articles screened, 48 articles were included in this analysis; of these, 14 studies (29%) concluded that female sex was a negative predictor of postoperative outcomes, while 6 studies (13%) found female sex to be positive predictor. The remaining 28 studies (58%) found no sex-based differences in postoperative outcomes. Of 7 studies (416 male and 519 female) included in the mHHS analysis, 2 studies concluded that male patients had significantly higher postoperative mHHS scores. Of 6 studies (502 male and 396 female) included in the RTS analysis, 1 study concluded that male patients had a significantly higher RTS rate.

CONCLUSION

Almost one-third of the included studies determined that female sex was a negative predictor of postoperative outcomes, 13% found female sex to be a positive predictor, and 58% found no sex-based differences. Our study illustrates an insufficiency of high-level evidence supporting sex-specific differences in outcomes after hip arthroscopic surgery, but findings indicated that the postoperative mHHS score and RTS rate may be influenced by sex.

Criteria for Return to Play After Hip Arthroscopy in the Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a common pathology in athletes that often requires operative management in the form of hip arthroscopy.

PURPOSE

To systematically review the rates and level of return to play (RTP) and the criteria used for RTP after hip arthroscopy for FAI in athletes.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature, based on the PRISMA guidelines, was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. Studies reporting outcomes after the use of hip arthroscopy for FAI were included. Outcomes analyzed were RTP rate, RTP level, and criteria used for RTP. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.

RESULTS

Our review found 130 studies, which included 14,069 patients (14,517 hips) and had a mean methodological quality of evidence (MQOE) of 40.4 (range, 5-67). The majority of patients were female (53.7%), the mean patient age was 30.4 years (range, 15-47 years), and the mean follow-up was 29.7 months (range, 6-75 months). A total of 81 studies reported RTP rates, with an overall RTP rate of 85.4% over a mean period of 6.6 months. Additionally, 49 studies reported the rate of RTP at preinjury level as 72.6%. Specific RTP criteria were reported in 97 studies (77.2%), with time being the most commonly reported item, which was reported in 80 studies (69.2%). A total of 45 studies (57.9%) advised RTP at 3 to 6 months after hip arthroscopy.

CONCLUSION

The overall rate of reported RTP was high after hip arthroscopy for FAI. However, more than one-fourth of athletes who returned to sports did not return at their preinjury level. Development of validated rehabilitation criteria for safe return to sports after hip arthroscopy for FAI could potentially improve clinical outcomes while also increasing rates of RTP at preinjury levels.

Assessment of Femoral Torsion on Magnetic Resonance Imaging is More Reliable Using Axial-Oblique Sequences Compared With Standard Axial Slices in Patients With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

PURPOSE

To determine the agreeability of femoral torsion measurements on axial and oblique axial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

METHODS

Patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS between January 2012 to January 2019 were identified. Inclusion criteria were all patients with an MRI scan containing the pelvis and knee imaging. MRI-based measurements of femoral torsion were performed on axial and oblique-axial slices by 2 raters, and inter-rater and intrarater reliability was assessed. Bland Altman plots were constructed to evaluate the agreeability between femoral torsion measurements performed using axial and oblique-axial slices. Bivariate correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationship between measurement methods on each respective scan. A linear regression was performed between measurements performed using axial and oblique-axial sequences.

RESULTS

A total of 164 patients were included. The mean true-axial and oblique axial femoral torsion were 12.2° ± 9.9° and 11.1° ± 9.2°, respectively. The intrarater reliability for axial and oblique-axial measurements were 0.993 and 0.997, respectively. The inter-rater reliability for axial and oblique-axial measurements were 0.925 and 0.965, respectively. The number of differences within the limits of agreement for axial and oblique-axial femoral torsion measurements was 58.54%. On Pearson correlation analysis, strong positive correlations were found between oblique-axial measurements at multiple time points (r = 0.994, P < .001), as well as axial measurements at multiple time points (r = 0.986, P < .001). A strong positive correlation was found between axial and oblique-axial measurements (r = 0.894, P < .001). A significant regression equation indicated that for each additional increase in axial femoral torsion, the oblique-axial femoral torsion increased 0.837 (95% confidence interval 0.772-0.901).

CONCLUSIONS

Femoral torsion values measured on oblique-axial sequences are smaller than on true-axial sequences. Femoral torsion measurements on axial and oblique-axial MRI sequences exhibit poor agreement. Oblique-axial sequences demonstrated greater measurement consistency at multiple timepoints. When evaluating torsional measurements, it is important to delineate which axial sequence was used, especially in patients with suspected severe femoral antetorsion. Standardization of MRI femoral version protocols within one's practice can ensure more consistent decision-making, especially in patients with suspected femoral antetorsion.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Retrospective cohort, level III.

Impact of bone deformities and labral and cartilage lesions on early functional results of arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement

INTRODUCTION

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a frequent cause of inguinal pain. Treatment failure rates range between 2.9% and 13.2%. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of preoperative bone deformities (BD), labral lesions (LL) and cartilage lesions (CL) on clinical results of arthroscopic treatment of FAI.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A prospective operational study included patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI. All patients had full radiographic work-up and clinical assessment on Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), preoperatively and at 1year. Hips with Tönnis grade>1, coxa profunda [VCE (vertical center edge angle)>35°] or borderline dysplasia (VCE<25°) were excluded. The Czerny classification was used for the labrum and the Beck classification for the cartilage. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of preoperative BD, LL and CL on clinical results of arthroscopic treatment of FAI. The study hypothesis was that type of lesion does not influence early functional results at 1year, whatever the technique used for the labrum.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety-seven patients were included. Mean preoperative NAHS was 59.1±17.5. There were 145 patients with labral suture (73.6%), 42 with labral debridement (21.3%) and 10 with conservative treatment (5.1%). At 1year, mean NAHS was 88.1±15.3: i.e., a significant improvement (p<2.2×10^-16). Improvement was also significant in the debridement, non-operative and suture subgroups. BD showed significant correction in the overall population (alpha angle 48.2° postoperatively versus 66.7° preoperatively; crossing sign in 14.5% versus 62.9% of cases). There were no significant differences in functional scores according to extension or type of labral or cartilage lesion. At follow-up, 3 patients (1.5%) required repeat arthroscopy.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed that early functional results of arthroscopic treatment of FAI were unaffected by the severity of bone deformity (alpha and VCE angles), or extension or type of labral or cartilage lesion. Regardless of BD, LL and CL, 1-year clinical progression was satisfactory when all bone deformities were treated by the arthroscopic procedure.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV; prospective non-comparative study.

Arthroscopic Treatment for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome with External Snapping Hip: A Comparison Study of Matched Case Series

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness of hip arthroscopy combined with endoscopic iliotibial band (ITB) release in patients with both femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome and external snapping hip (ESH).

METHODS

Retrospectively review the preoperative and minimum of 2-year follow-up data of patients with both FAI syndrome and ESH who underwent endoscopic ITB release during hip arthroscopy (FAI + ESH group) from January 2014 to December 2018. The same number of age- and gender-matched FAI syndrome patients without ESH undergoing hip arthroscopy were enrolled in the control group (FAI group). Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) including international Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), visual analog scale for pain (VAS-pain), and abductive force of affected hip at 3 month and 2 years postoperatively were comparatively analyzed. The VAS-satisfaction score of two groups at 2 years postoperatively were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ESH in FAI syndrome patients undergoing hip arthroscopy in our institution was 5.5% (39 of 715 hips), including nine males (10 hips) and 29 females (29 hips). The mean age at the time of surgery was 32.1 ± 6.9 years (range, 22-48 years). According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 23 patients were enrolled in FAI + ITB group. Twenty-three age- and sex-matched FAI syndrome patients were enrolled in FAI group. At 24 months postoperatively, no patient still suffered ESH symptoms and painful palpation at lateral region in FAI + ITB group. The iHOT-33, mHHS, and VAS-pain score of patients in FAI + ESH group were significantly severer than patients in FAI group preoperatively (41.6 ± 7.5 vs 48.8 ± 7.2, 54.8 ± 7.2 vs 59.2 ± 6.9, 5.5 ± 0.9 vs 4.7 ± 1.0; P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in these scores between the patients in FAI + ESH group and FAI group at 3-month and 24-month follow-up (73.6 ± 8.5 vs 76.1 ± 6.9, 85.3 ± 7.8 vs 84.2 ± 6.6, 0.8 ± 0.9 vs 0.6 ± 0.9; P > 0.05). At 3 months after surgery, the abductive force of operated hip was significantly smaller than that in FAI group (82.4 ± 12.4 N vs 91.9 ± 16.1 N, P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference at 24 months after surgery (101.6 ± 14.9 N vs 106.5 ± 13.7 N, P > 0.05). The VAS-satisfaction scores of patients in the two groups were at a similarly high level (90.5 ± 6.8 vs 88.8 ± 7.3, P > 0.05). There was no complication and no arthroscopic revision in either group until 2-year follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Although abductive force recovery of the hip was delayed, hip arthroscopy combined with endoscopic ITB release addressed hip snapping in patients with both FAI syndrome and ESH, and could get similar functional improvement, pain relief, recovery speed, as well as patient satisfaction compared with the pure hip arthroscopy in FAI syndrome patients without ESH.

Endoscopic Iliotibial Band Release During Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome and External Snapping Hip Had Better Patient-Reported Outcomes: A Retrospective Comparative Study

PURPOSE

To compare patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome and external snapping hip (ESH) treated with hip arthroscopy with or without endoscopic iliotibial band (ITB) release.

METHODS

Retrospective review case series with both FAI syndrome and ESH who underwent surgical treatment under same indications. According to the primary operation that was determined by patients themselves, the patients undergoing ITB release during hip arthroscopy for FAI syndrome were enrolled in the ITB-R group, and patients undergoing hip arthroscopy without ITB release were enrolled in non-ITB-R group. Patients with dysplasia, severe osteoarthritis, revision, and bilateral surgery were excluded. PROs including international Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), visual analog scale for pain (VAS-pain) and VAS-satisfaction, and the rates of achieving minimal clinically important difference, patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS), and substantial clinical benefit for the PROs at 2 years operatively were comparative analyzed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ESH in patients with FAI syndrome who underwent hip arthroscopy in our institution was 4.9% (30 of 612 hips). The mean age at the time of surgery was 33.1 ± 6.9 years (range 22-48 years). After exclusion, 16 patients (16 hips) were enrolled into ITB-R group and 11 patients (11 hips) enrolled into non-ITB-R group. PROs including iHOT-33, mHHS, VAS-pain, and VAS-satisfaction in patients in ITB-R group were better than that in non-ITB-R group at 2 years postoperatively (P = .013, .016, .002, and .005, respectively). The rates of achieving PASS for mHHS, PASS for VAS-pain, and substantial clinical benefit for iHOT-33 of patients in ITB-R group were significantly better than that in non-ITB-R group (P = .009, .006, and .027, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with both FAI syndrome and ESH undergoing ITB release during hip arthroscopy had better PROs than those undergoing hip arthroscopy without ITB release.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, retrospective comparative study.

Evaluation of outcome reporting trends for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome- a systematic review

PURPOSE

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the trends in the literature regarding surgical treatment for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and to present which patient-reported outcome-measures (PROMs) and surgical approaches are included.

METHODS

This systematic review was conducted with the PRISMA guidelines. The literature search was performed on PubMed and Embase, covering studies from 1999 to 2020. Inclusion criteria were clinical studies with surgical treatment for FAIS, the use of PROMs as evaluation tool and studies in English. Exclusion criteria were studies with patients < 18 years, cohorts with < 8 patients, studies with primarily purpose to evaluate other diagnoses than FAIS and studies with radiographs as only outcomes without using PROMs. Data extracted were author, year, surgical intervention, type of study, level of evidence, demographics of included patients, and PROMs.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 2,559 studies, of which 196 were included. There was an increase of 2,043% in the number of studies from the first to the last five years (2004-2008)-(2016-2020). There were 135 (69%) retrospective, 55 (28%) prospective and 6 (3%) Randomized Controlled Trials. Level of evidence ranged from I-IV where Level III was most common (44%). More than half of the studies (58%) originated from USA. Arthroscopic surgery was the most common surgical treatment (85%). Mean follow-up was 27.0 months (± 17 SD), (range 1.5-120 months). Between 1-10 PROMs were included, and the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) was most commonly used (61%).

CONCLUSION

There has been a continuous increase in the number of published studies regarding FAIS with the majority evaluating arthroscopic surgery. The mHHS remains being the most commonly used PROM.

Machine Learning Algorithms Predict Clinically Significant Improvements in Satisfaction After Hip Arthroscopy

PURPOSE

To develop machine learning algorithms to predict failure to achieve clinically significant satisfaction after hip arthroscopy.

METHODS

We queried a clinical repository for consecutive primary hip arthroscopy patients treated between January 2012 and January 2017. Five supervised machine learning algorithms were developed in a training set of patients and internally validated in an independent testing set of patients by discrimination, Brier score, calibration, and decision-curve analysis. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the visual analog scale (VAS) score for satisfaction was derived by an anchor-based method and used as the primary outcome.

RESULTS

A total of 935 patients were included, of whom 148 (15.8%) did not achieve the MCID for the VAS satisfaction score at a minimum of 2 years postoperatively. The best-performing algorithm was the neural network model (C statistic, 0.94; calibration intercept, -0.43; calibration slope, 0.94; and Brier score, 0.050). The 5 most important features to predict failure to achieve the MCID for the VAS satisfaction score were history of anxiety or depression, lateral center-edge angle, preoperative symptom duration exceeding 2 years, presence of 1 or more drug allergies, and Workers' Compensation.

CONCLUSIONS

Supervised machine learning algorithms conferred excellent discrimination and performance for predicting clinically significant satisfaction after hip arthroscopy, although this analysis was performed in a single population of patients. External validation is required to confirm the performance of these algorithms.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic case-control study.

Large Heterogeneity Among Minimal Clinically Important Differences for Hip Arthroscopy Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Reporting Trends and Quantification Methods

PURPOSE

To perform a systematic review of reporting trends and quantification methods for the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) within the hip arthroscopy literature.

METHODS

Cochrane, PubMed, and OVID/MEDLINE databases were queried for hip arthroscopy articles that reported the MCID. Studies were classified as (1) calculating new MCID values for their specific study-population or (2) referencing previously established MCID values. Data pertaining to patient demographics, study characteristics, outcome measures, method of MCID quantification, MCID value, anchor questions, measurement error, and study from which referenced MCID values were obtained were extracted.

RESULTS

A total of 59 articles with 18,830 patients (19,867 hips) was included. A total of 19 unique outcome measures was reported. A total of 33 (n = 55.9%) studies (follow-up range 6-60 months) used previously established MCID values to assess their study population (MCID values established at a follow-up range 6-31 months). The remaining 26 studies (44.1%) performed new MCID calculations. The MCID values were inconsistent and varied widely (Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living: 5.0-15.4; Hip Outcome Score-Sports Subscale: 6-25; modified Harris hip score: 2.4-20.9). Among the 33 studies that used previously established MCID values, 10 different studies were cited as the reference. Among the remaining 26 studies that calculated a new MCID value, the most common method was 0.5 standard deviation method (n = 21, 80.8%). Only 3 of 26 (11.5%) studies reported a measurement of error in conjunction with their MCID values.

CONCLUSIONS

Inconsistencies in MCID reporting and quantification methods led to a wide range of MCID values for commonly administered outcome measures within the hip arthroscopy literature-even for the same outcome measures. The majority of studies referenced previously established MCID values with variable ranges of follow-up and applied those values to assess their specific study population at varying follow-ups.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV, systematic review.

Travel Distance Does Not Affect Outcomes in Hip Preservation Surgery: A Case for Centers of Excellence

Background:

Previous studies have evaluated the effect of distance to high-volume centers on outcomes after joint replacement. However, there is limited evidence on whether this distance has an effect on outcomes after undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

Purpose:

To determine whether increased distance from a patient’s home to his or her primary orthopaedic clinic has an influence on the ability to achieve the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) on outcome measures after surgery for FAIS.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on patients undergoing surgery for FAIS by a single surgeon from January 2012 through January 2017. A total of 692 patients were identified and split into 2 groups: driving distance of <50 miles from our institution (referral group) and driving distance of <50 miles from our institution (local group). Preoperative and 2-year postoperative scores on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), including the Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living and Sport-Specific subscales, International Hip Outcome Tool–12, and modified Harris Hip Score, were assessed. Patients achieving the MCID on any included PROM were analyzed using a chi-square analysis. Logistic regression was performed to determine whether driving distance and other demographic variables of interest had an effect on achieving the MCID. Study data were analyzed using PatientIQ, a cloud-based research and analytics platform for health care.

Results:

There were 647 patients who completed 2-year follow-up and were included in the analysis. Of these patients, 116 (17.9%) were identified as being ≥50 miles from their orthopaedic provider, and 531 (82.1%) were identified as having a driving distance of <50 miles. A total of 100 patients (86.2%) in the referral group reached the MCID, and 476 patients (89.6%) in the local group reached the MCID. There was no statistically significant difference in reaching the MCID on any of the included PROMs between the 2 groups (P = .364). The same result held when controlling for a number of factors including age, body mass index, and adjusted gross income with logistic regression.

Conclusion:

When controlling for a number of factors including age, body mass index, and adjusted gross income, distance to a high-volume hip arthroscopic surgery center did not have an effect on postoperative outcome scores or achieving the MCID 2 years after undergoing surgery for FAIS.

Physical Activity Following Hip Arthroscopy in Young and Middle-Aged Adults: A Systematic Review

Background

Hip arthroscopy is a common surgical intervention for young and middle-aged adults with hip-related pain and dysfunction, who have high expectations for returning to physical activity following surgery. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the impact of hip arthroscopy on physical activity post-arthroscopy.

Methods

A systematic search of electronic databases was undertaken in identifying studies from January 1st 1990 to December 5th 2019. The search included English language articles reporting physical activity as an outcome following hip arthroscopy in adults aged 18-50 years. Quality assessment, data extraction and synthesis of included studies were undertaken.

Results

Full text articles (n = 234) were assessed for eligibility following screening of titles and abstracts (n = 2086), yielding 120 studies for inclusion. The majority (86%) of the studies were level 4 evidence. One study reported objective activity data. The most frequently occurring patient-reported outcome measure was the Hip Outcome Score-sport-specific subscale (HOS-SS, 84% of studies). Post--arthroscopy improvement was indicated by large effect sizes for patient-reported outcome measures (standard paired difference [95% confidence interval] −1.35[−1.61 to −1.09] at more than 2 years post-arthroscopy); however, the majority of outcome scores for the HOS-SS did not meet the defined level for a patient-acceptable symptom state.

Conclusion

The current level of available information regarding physical activity for post arthroscopy patients is limited in scope. Outcomes have focused on patients’ perceived difficulties with sport-related activities with a paucity of information on the type, quality and quantity of activity undertaken.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, systematic review of Level 2 through to Level 4 studies