How Can We Define Clinically Important Improvement in Pain Scores After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome? Minimum 2-Year Follow-up Study

High Area Deprivation Index is Associated With Not Achieving the Patient-acceptable Symptom State After TKA

BACKGROUND

The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) approximates a patient's relative socioeconomic deprivation. The ADI has been associated with increased healthcare use after TKA, but it is unknown whether there is an association with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Given that a high proportion of patients are dissatisfied with their results after TKA, and the large number of these procedures performed, knowledge of factors associated with PROMs may indicate opportunities to provide support to patients who might benefit from it.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

(1) Is the ADI associated with achieving the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) for the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) for pain, Joint Replacement (JR), and Physical Function (PS) short forms after TKA? (2) Is the ADI associated with achieving the patient-acceptable symptom state (PASS) thresholds for the KOOS pain, JR, and PS short forms?

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of data drawn from a longitudinally maintained database. Between January 2016 and July 2021, a total of 12,239 patients underwent unilateral TKA at a tertiary healthcare center. Of these, 92% (11,213) had available baseline PROM data and were potentially eligible. An additional 21% (2400) of patients were lost before the minimum study follow-up of 1 year or had incomplete data, leaving 79% (8813) for analysis here. The MCID is the smallest change in an outcome score that a patient is likely to perceive as a clinically important improvement, and the PASS refers to the threshold beyond which patients consider their symptoms acceptable and consistent with adequate functioning and well-being. MCIDs were calculated using a distribution-based method. Multivariable logistic regression models were created to investigate the association of ADI with 1-year PROMs while controlling for patient demographic variables. ADI was stratified into quintiles based on their distribution in our sample. Achievement of MCID and PASS thresholds was determined by the improvement between preoperative and 1-year PROMs.

RESULTS

After controlling for patient demographic factors, ADI was not associated with an inability to achieve the MCID for the KOOS pain, KOOS PS, or KOOS JR. A higher ADI was independently associated with an increased risk of inability to achieve the PASS for KOOS pain (for example, the odds ratio of those in the ADI category of 83 to 100 compared with those in the 1 to 32 category was 1.34 [95% confidence interval 1.13 to 1.58]) and KOOS JR (for example, the OR of those in the ADI category of 83 to 100 compared with those in the 1 the 32 category was 1.29 [95% CI 1.10 to 1.53]), but not KOOS PS (for example, the OR of those in the ADI category of 83 to 100 compared with those in the 1 the 32 category was 1.09 [95% CI 0.92 to 1.29]).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that social and economic factors are associated with patients' perceptions of their overall pain and function after TKA, but such factors are not associated with patients' perceptions of their improvement in symptoms. Patients from areas with higher deprivation may be an at-risk population and could benefit from targeted interventions to improve their perception of their healthcare experience, such as through referrals to nonemergent medical transportation and supporting applications to local care coordination services before proceeding with TKA. Future research should investigate the mechanisms underlying why socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with inability to achieve the PASS, but not the MCID, after TKA.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic study.

What Are the Diagnosis-Specific Thresholds of Minimal Clinically Important Difference and Patient Acceptable Symptom State in Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score After Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty?

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) thresholds for Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) pain, physical short form (PS), and joint replacement (JR) 1 year after primary total hip arthroplasty stratified by preoperative diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA) versus non-OA.

METHODS

A prospective institutional cohort of 5,887 patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty (January 2016 to December 2018) was included. There were 4,184 patients (77.0%) who completed a one-year follow-up. Demographics, comorbidities, and baseline and one-year HOOS pain, PS, and JR scores were recorded. Patients were stratified by preoperative diagnosis: OA or non-OA. Minimal detectable change (MDC) and MCIDs were estimated using a distribution-based approach. The PASS values were estimated using an anchor-based approach, which corresponded to a response to a satisfaction question at one year post surgery.

RESULTS

The MCID thresholds were slightly higher in the non-OA cohort versus OA patients. (HOOS-Pain: OA: 8.35 versus non-OA: 8.85 points; HOOS-PS: OA: 9.47 versus non-OA: 9.90 points; and HOOS-JR: OA: 7.76 versus non-OA: 8.46 points). Similarly, all MDC thresholds were consistently higher in the non-OA cohort compared to OA patients. The OA cohort exhibited similar or higher PASS thresholds compared to the non-OA cohort for HOOS-Pain (OA: ≥80.6 versus non-OA: ≥77.5 points), HOOS-PS (OA: ≥83.6 versus non-OA: ≥83.6 points), and HOOS-JR (OA: ≥76.8 versus non-OA: ≥73.5 points). A similar percentage of patients achieved MCID and PASS thresholds regardless of preoperative diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

While MCID and MDC thresholds for all HOOS subdomains were slightly higher among non-OA than OA patients, PASS thresholds for HOOS pain and JR were slightly higher in the OA group. The absolute magnitude of the difference in these thresholds may not be sufficient to cause major clinical differences. However, these subtle differences may have a significant impact when used as indicators of operative success in a population setting.

Short-term Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopic Surgery in Patients Participating in Formal Physical Therapy Versus a Home Exercise Program: A Prospectively Enrolled Cohort Analysis

BACKGROUND

Physical therapy is frequently utilized in the postoperative care of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). There has been limited research into the efficacy of a structured home exercise program (HEP) compared with formal physical therapy (FPT) in this patient population.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS

The purpose was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of patients utilizing FPT versus an HEP after hip arthroscopic surgery for FAIS. It was hypothesized that both groups would show similar improvements regarding outcome scores, which would improve significantly compared with their preoperative scores.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

METHODS

Patients undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery for FAIS at a single center between October 2020 and October 2021 were prospectively enrolled. Patients were allowed to self-select FPT or an HEP and were administered a survey preoperatively and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively. The survey included the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, visual analog scale for pain, 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function, and patient satisfaction with physical therapy and overall care. Statistical analysis was conducted between the 2 groups and within groups to compare preoperative and postoperative scores.

RESULTS

The patients' mean age was 32.6 ± 10.4 years, with 47.2% being female and 57.4% choosing the HEP. At 12 months postoperatively, no significant differences were reported between the FPT and HEP groups regarding the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score (P = .795), visual analog scale for pain score (P > .05), Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function T-score (P = .699), 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool score (P = .582), and patient satisfaction (P > .05). Outcome scores at 12 months postoperatively were significantly improved from the preoperative scores across all measures in both groups (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

There were no significant differences regarding patient outcomes between FPT and the HEP at 1-year follow-up after hip arthroscopic surgery for FAIS when patients selected their own treatment, with both groups demonstrating significant improvements in their outcome scores from their preoperative values. These findings suggest that a structured HEP may be a viable alternative to FPT after hip arthroscopic surgery in patients who prefer a self-directed rehabilitation program.

Diagnosis-Specific Thresholds of the Minimal Clinically Important Difference and Patient Acceptable Symptom State for KOOS After Total Knee Arthroplasty

UPDATE

This article was updated on May 1, 2024 because of a previous error, which was discovered after the preliminary version of the article was posted online. The byline that had read "Ahmed K. Emara, MD 1 *, Ignacio Pasqualini, MD 1 *, Alison K. Klika, MS 1 , Melissa N. Orr, BS 1 , Pedro J. Rullán, MD 1 , Nicolas S. Piuzzi, MD 1 , and the Cleveland Clinic Arthroplasty Group†" now reads "Ahmed K. Emara, MD 1 *, Ignacio Pasqualini, MD 1 *, Yuxuan Jin, MS 1 , Alison K. Klika, MS 1 , Melissa N. Orr, BS 1 , Pedro J. Rullán, MD 1 , Nicolas S. Piuzzi, MD 1 , and the Cleveland Clinic Arthroplasty Group†".

BACKGROUND

Literature-reported minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) thresholds for patient-reported outcome measures demonstrate marked variability. The purpose of this study was to determine the minimal detectable change (MDC), MCID, and PASS thresholds for the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Pain subdomain, Physical Function Short Form (PS), and Joint Replacement (JR) among patients with osteoarthritis (OA) who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODS

A prospective cohort of 6,778 patients who underwent primary TKA was analyzed. Overall, 1-year follow-up was completed by 5,316 patients for the KOOS Pain, 5,018 patients for the KOOS PS, and 4,033 patients for the KOOS JR. A total of 5,186 patients had an OA diagnosis; this group had an average age of 67.0 years and was 59.9% female and 80.4% White. Diagnosis-specific MDCs and MCIDs were estimated with use of a distribution-based approach. PASS values were estimated with use of an anchor-based approach, which corresponded to a response to a satisfaction question at 1 year postoperatively.

RESULTS

The MCID thresholds for the OA group were 7.9 for the KOOS Pain, 8.0 for the KOOS PS, and 6.7 for the KOOS JR. A high percentage of patients achieved the MCID threshold for each outcome measure (KOOS Pain, 95%; KOOS PS, 88%; and KOOS JR, 94%). The MDC 80% to 95% confidence intervals ranged from 9.1 to 14.0 for the KOOS Pain, 9.2 to 14.1 for the KOOS PS, and 7.7 to 11.8 for the KOOS JR. The PASS thresholds for the OA group were 77.7 for the KOOS Pain (achieved by 73% of patients), 70.3 for the KOOS PS (achieved by 68% of patients), and 70.7 for the KOOS JR (achieved by 70% of patients).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study provided useful MCID, MDC, and PASS thresholds for the KOOS Pain, PS, and JR for patients with OA. The diagnosis-specific metrics established herein can serve as benchmarks for clinically meaningful postoperative improvement. Future research and quality assessments should utilize these OA-specific thresholds when evaluating outcomes following TKA. Doing so will enable more accurate determinations of operative success and improvements in patient-centered care.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level II . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Patients Undergoing Postless Hip Arthroscopy Demonstrate Significantly Better Patient-Reported Outcomes and Clinically Significant Outcomes Compared to Conventional Post-Assisted Hip Arthroscopy at Short-Term Follow-Up

PURPOSE

To prospectively compare the short-term clinical outcomes of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy with versus without the use of a perineal post.

METHODS

A prospective, single-surgeon cohort study was performed on a subset of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy between 2020 and 2022. A post-free hip distraction system was used at 1 center at which the senior author operates, and a perineal post was used at another surgical location. An electronic survey of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) was completed by each patient at a minimum of 1 year postoperatively. PROMs included a visual analog scale for pain; University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Activity Scale; modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS); Hip Outcome Score-Sports-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS); and a Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation. Postoperative scores and clinically significant outcomes, including the minimal clinically important difference, substantial clinical benefit, and patient acceptable symptom state, for each PROM were compared between groups.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine patients were reached for follow-up (41 post, 28 postless) of 87 patients eligible for the study (79%). No significant differences were found between groups in terms of sex (post: 61% female, postless: 54% female, P = .54), age (post: 34 years, postless: 29 years, P = .11), body mass index (post: 26, postless: 24, P = .23), or follow-up duration (post: 24.4 months, postless: 21.3 months, P = .16). There was a significantly higher visual analog scale (3.1 vs 1.4, P = .01), a significantly lower UCLA Activity Scale score (7.0 vs 8.4, P = .02), and a significantly lower mHHS (73.7 vs 82.2, P = .03) in the post-assisted group. A significantly higher proportion of patients in the postless group achieved a patient acceptable symptom state for the UCLA (89.3% vs 68.3%, P = .04), mHHS (84.6% vs 61.0%, P = .04), and HOS-SSS (84.0% vs 61.0%, P = .048) and a substantial clinical benefit for HOS-SSS (72.0% vs 41.5%, P = .02). One patient (2.6%) in the post group underwent revision hip arthroscopy, and another was indicated for total hip arthroplasty by the time of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Postless hip arthroscopy may result in better clinical outcomes compared with post-assisted hip arthroscopy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Defining Patient-relevant Thresholds and Change Scores for the HOOS JR and KOOS JR Anchored on the Patient-acceptable Symptom State Question

BACKGROUND

When evaluating the results of clinical research studies, readers need to know that patients perceive effect sizes, not p values. Knowing the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) and the patient-acceptable symptom state (PASS) threshold for patient-reported outcome measures helps us to ascertain whether our interventions result in improvements that are large enough for patients to care about, and whether our treatments alleviate patient symptoms sufficiently. Prior studies have developed the MCID and PASS threshold for the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement (HOOS JR) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement (KOOS JR) anchored on satisfaction with surgery, but to our knowledge, neither the MCID nor the PASS thresholds for these instruments anchored on a single-item PASS question have been described.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

(1) What are the MCID (defined here as the HOOS/KOOS JR change score associated with achieving PASS) and PASS threshold for the HOOS JR and KOOS JR anchored on patient responses to the single-item PASS instrument? (2) How do patient demographic factors such as age, gender, and BMI correlate with MCID and PASS thresholds using the single-item PASS instrument?

METHODS

Between July 2020 and September 2021, a total of 10,970 patients underwent one primary unilateral THA or TKA and completed at least one of the three surveys (preoperative HOOS or KOOS JR, 1-year postoperative HOOS or KOOS JR, and 1-year postoperative single-item anchor) at one large, academic medical center. Of those, only patients with data for all three surveys were eligible, leaving 13% (1465 total; 783 THAs and 682 TKAs) for analysis. Despite this low percentage, the overall sample size was large, and there was little difference between completers and noncompleters in terms of demographics or baseline patient-reported outcome measure scores. Patients undergoing bilateral total joint arthroplasty or revision total joint arthroplasty and those without all three surveys at 1 year of follow-up were excluded. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, leveraging a 1-year, single-item PASS (that is, "Do you consider that your current state is satisfactory?" with possible answers of "yes" or "no") as the anchor was then used to establish the MCID and PASS thresholds among the 783 included patients who underwent primary unilateral THA and 682 patients who underwent primary unilateral TKA. We also explored the associations of age at the time of surgery (younger than 65 years or 65 years and older), gender (men or women), BMI (< 30 or ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ), and baseline Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Information System-10 physical and mental component scores (< 50 or ≥ 50) for each of the MCID and PASS thresholds through stratified analyses.

RESULTS

For the HOOS JR, the MCID associated with the PASS was 23 (95% CI 18 to 31), with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.75, and the PASS threshold was 81 (95% CI 77 to 85), with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.81. For the KOOS JR, the MCID was 16 (95% CI 14 to 18), with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.75, and the PASS threshold was 71 (95% CI 66 to 73) with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.84. Stratified analyses indicated higher change scores and PASS threshold for younger men undergoing THA and higher PASS thresholds for older women undergoing TKA.

CONCLUSION

Here, we demonstrated the utility of a single patient-centered anchor question, raising the question as to whether simply collecting a postoperative PASS is an easier way to measure success than collecting preoperative and postoperative patient-reported outcome measures and then calculating MCIDs and the substantial clinical benefit.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic study.

Do Patients With Hypoallergenic Total Knee Arthroplasty Implants for Metal Allergy Do Worse? An Analysis of Health Care Utilizations and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures

BACKGROUND

Metal allergy is a rare and controversial cause of implant failure and poor outcomes following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Few studies have investigated clinical and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in patients treated with hypoallergenic implants. This investigation aimed to compare: (1) health care utilizations (eg, hospital length of stay, 90-day readmission rate, and incidence of nonhome discharge) and (2) 1-year PROMs between patients who received hypoallergenic and standard TKA implants.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of prospectively collected data from patients who underwent primary TKA between 2018 and 2019. Propensity score matching (3:1) was used to compare standard TKA patients with those who received hypoallergenic TKA implants, respectively. Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) pain, KOOS Physical function Shortform (PS), and Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey Mental Component Score were collected preoperatively and at 1-year. After matching, 190 hypoallergenic and 570 standard TKAs were analyzed.

RESULTS

No differences were observed in length of stay (P = .98), 90-day readmission (P = .89), and nonhome discharge (P = .82). Additionally, there was no significant difference in change from preoperative to 1-year PROMs (KOOS pain, P = .97; KOOS PS, P = .88; Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey Mental Component Score, P = .28). Patient-reported satisfaction was similar at 1-year (P = .23). Patients achieved similar rates of Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for KOOS pain (PASS, P = .77; MCID, P = .33) and KOOS PS (PASS, P = .44; MCID, P = .65).

CONCLUSION

Patients treated with hypoallergenic TKA implants for suspected metal allergy had similar outcomes compared to patients who had standard implants and no metal allergy.

Patient Outcomes Are Not Improved by Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection Onto the Capsule at the Time of Closure During Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

Purpose

To determine the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection onto the capsule at time of closure on outcomes of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.

Methods

Patients who underwent hip arthroscopy between January 2014 and December 2021 were retrospectively identified. The first cohort included patients who received PRP injection onto the capsule following capsular closure at the conclusion of the case. The second cohort did not receive PRP. Pain scores on a visual analog scale, Modified Harris Hip Scores, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), as well as Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function scores were obtained preoperatively as well as at multiple time points postoperatively up to 2 years.

Results

In total, 345 patients were included in the study, with 293 in the PRP cohort and 52 in the non-PRP cohort. There was no significance difference in age (P = .69), sex, or preoperative pain (P = .92) and patient-reported outcome scores between the 2 groups (modified Harris Hip Score, P = .38; Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function, P = .48), except for preoperative SANE scores, which had a greater baseline in the PRP group (P < .001). Using both observed data as well as repeated measure analysis of variance model to estimate for missing data after baseline, we found there were no differences in visual analog scale pain scores nor patient-reported outcome scores at any time point. There was similarly no difference in change from baseline for SANE scores. There was no difference in rate of revision surgery between the 2 cohorts (P = .66).

Conclusions

Based on the results of this study, intraoperative PRP injection onto the capsule at the time of capsular closure does not improve outcomes of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.

Level of Evidence

Level III, retrospective comparative study.

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.

Use and Effectiveness of Physical Therapy After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement

BACKGROUND

Limited literature exists regarding how postoperative physical therapy (PT) may affect outcomes in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) undergoing hip arthroscopy. Additionally, it is unknown how PT measures relate to traditional orthopaedic patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

PURPOSE

To evaluate how the duration of PT may correlate with outcomes in patients with FAIS using both the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and standard orthopaedic PRO measures.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Patients from a single institution who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS between 2013 and 2016 were identified. Patients with a minimum 2-year follow-up and fully documented PT notes were included and stratified into 3 cohorts based on timing of PT discharge: 0 to 3 months, 3 to 6 months, and 6 to 12 months. Predictive regression models were developed to analyze the rate of improvement (ROI) in LEFS score as it relates to (1) postoperative day (POD) and (2) postoperative PT session number. Two-year PROs were collected, correlated with LEFS scores, and compared among cohorts.

RESULTS

A total of 95 patients were included (mean ± SD age, 34.6 ± 11.7 years; range, 14-55 years). Mean LEFS scores increased significantly from the initial score at 6 weeks, 3 months, and the time of PT discharge (P < .01 for all). The predicted ROI in LEFS score was 3.39% per PT session for sessions 0 to 13, 1.43% for sessions 14 to 27, and 0.37% for sessions 28 to 40. Patients who underwent 3 to 6 months of PT had significantly better Hip Outcome Score (HOS) relative to the 0- to 3-month cohort and significantly better visual analog scale (VAS) scores for satisfaction relative to the 6- to 12-month cohort. The predicted ROI in LEFS score was 0.96% per day from POD 0 to 45, 0.22% from POD 46 to 139, and 0.03% after POD 139. Moderate correlations were seen between LEFS score at the time of discharge and all 2-year PROs as follows: HOS Activities of Daily Living subscale (r = 0.488), HOS Sports-Specific subscale (r = 0.500), modified Harris Hip Score (r = 0.465), 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool (r = 0.494), VAS pain score (r = -0.346), and VAS satisfaction score (r = 0.459).

CONCLUSION

Patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAIS derived substantial benefit from each PT visit during their first 13 PT sessions and then a smaller, yet still meaningful benefit from sessions 13 through 27. After session 40, or approximately 4.5 to 5 months, patients no longer benefited from additional PT sessions. Based on PRO scores, patients discharged from PT between 3 and 6 months had the best 2-year outcomes. LEFS score had moderate correlation with orthopaedic PRO scores.

Propensity for Clinically Meaningful Improvement and Surgical Failure After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair

Background

Primary repair of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) confers an alternative to ACL reconstruction in appropriately selected patients.

Purpose

To prospectively assess survivorship and to define the clinically meaningful outcomes after ACL repair.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

Included were consecutive patients with Sherman grade 1-2 tears who underwent primary ACL repair with or without suture augmentation between 2017 and 2019. Patient-reported outcomes (Lysholm, Tegner, International Knee Documentation Committee, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS] subscales) were collected preoperatively and at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was calculated using a distribution-based method, whereas the Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) and substantial clinical benefit (SCB) were calculated using an anchor-based method. Plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were obtained at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively.

Results

A total of 120 patients were included. The overall failure rate was 11.3% at 2 years postoperatively. Changes in outcome scores required to achieve the MCID ranged between 5.1 and 14.3 at 6 months, 4.6 and 8.4 at 1 year, and 4.7 and 11.9 at 2 years postoperatively. Thresholds for PASS achievement ranged between 62.5 and 89 at 6 months, 75 and 89 at 1 year, and 78.6 and 93.2 at 2 years postoperatively. Threshold scores (absolute/change based) for achieving the SCB ranged between 82.8 and 96.4/17.7 and 40.1 at 6 months, between 94.7 and 100/23 and 45 at 1 year, and between 95.3 and 100/29.4 and 45 at 2 years. More patients achieved the MCID and PASS at 1 year compared with 6 months and 2 years. For SCB, this trend was also observed for non-KOOS outcomes, while for KOOS subdomains, more patients achieved the SCB at 2 years. High-intensity signal of the ACL repair (odds ratio [OR], 31.7 [95% CI, 1.5-73.4]; P = .030) and bone contusions on MRI (OR, 4.2 [95% CI, 1.7-25.2]; P = .041) at 1 year postoperatively were independently associated with increased risk of ACL repair failure.

Conclusion

The rate of clinically meaningful outcome improvement was high early after ACL repair, with the greatest proportion of patients achieving the MCID, PASS, and SCB at 1 year postoperatively. Bone contusions involving the posterolateral tibia and lateral femoral condyle as well as high repair signal intensity at 1 year postoperatively were independent predictors of failure at 2 years postoperatively.

High-Level Athletes With Borderline Hip Dysplasia Achieve Favorable Outcomes and Return to Sport Rates Following Primary Hip Arthroscopy: Minimum 5-Year Outcomes Comparison to a Propensity-Matched Control Group

PURPOSE

(1) To report minimum 5-year patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and return to sport (RTS) rates in high-level athletes with borderline hip dysplasia (BHD) following primary hip arthroscopy for labral pathology and femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and (2) to compare results to a propensity-matched control group of athletes with normal acetabular coverage.

METHODS

Data were reviewed for surgeries performed between February 2009 and February 2016. Patients were eligible if they underwent primary hip arthroscopy in the setting of BHD (lateral center-edge angle [LCEA] 18-25°) and competed in professional, collegiate, or high school sports. Inclusion criteria were preoperative and minimum 5-year follow-up scores for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Non-Arthritis Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score-Sport Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), and visual analog scale for pain. Rates of achieving the minimal clinically importance difference (MCID), patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS), and maximum outcome improvement satisfaction threshold (MOIST) were recorded in addition to RTS. BHD athletes were matched by age at the time of surgery, sex, body mass index, Tönnis grade, follow-up time, sport type, and competition level to a control group of 58 athletes with normal acetabular coverage (LCEA 25°-40°) for comparison.

RESULTS

A total of 34 BHD athletes were included with a mean follow-up of 73.6 ± 10.7 months. BHD athletes showed significant improvements in all PROs, demonstrated high RTS rates (90.0%), and achieved PASS/MCID/MOIST for mHHS (MCID: 80.0%, PASS: 93.3%, MOIST: 80.0%) and HOS-SSS (MCID: 76.7%, PASS: 73.3%) at high rates. When compared to a propensity-matched group with normal acetabular coverage, BHD athletes demonstrated similar postoperative PROs, rates of achieving psychometric thresholds, and RTS rates (P > .05). Additionally, by the latest follow-up, no athlete in either group required conversion to total hip arthroplasty.

CONCLUSIONS

High-level athletes with BHD undergoing primary hip arthroscopy for labral pathology and femoroacetabular impingement syndrome may expect favorable midterm outcomes and high RTS rates. These results were comparable to a control group of athletes with normal coverage.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Femoral Version May Impact Hip Arthroscopy Outcomes in Select Patient Populations: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

To provide further clarity regarding the management of patients with abnormal femoral version in the setting of hip arthroscopy and will discuss the definition of femoral version, the diagnostic and clinical evaluation of abnormal femoral version, and several described measurement techniques.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted in literature published before August 2021 that measured femoral version and reported patient-reported outcomes measures or rates of subsequent procedures following hip arthroscopy. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed and the electronic databases, PubMed, OvidMedLine, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched. Two blinded reviews screened and evaluated data quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies were included with 11 studies reporting patient outcomes and 7 studies reporting rates of subsequent procedures. The most commonly used definition of femoral version was 5° to 20° of femoral anteversion. Computed tomography scan was the most commonly used imaging modality. The majority of studies (7 of 11) demonstrated that femoral version does not have an impact on patient-reported outcomes measures and is not predictive of clinically meaningful improvement scores. However, in select studies, patients with femoral retroversion were found to experience slightly inferior outcomes following hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement. While femoral retroversion may be a risk factor for subsequent procedures, 3 of 7 studies refute this claim. Although in patients with borderline hip dysplasia, excessive femoral anteversion led to greater rates of subsequent hip procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

While the majority of studies show that femoral version does not have an impact on patient-reported outcomes following hip arthroscopy, those with femoral retroversion and with excessive anteversion with coexisting borderline hip dysplasia need to be educated on their increased risk of subsequent operation. Ultimately, this review suggests that clinical improvement can likely be achieved regardless of femoral version.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV; systematic review of Level I-IV studies.

Editorial Commentary: Degeneration of Acetabular Cartilage of any Degree Is a Predictor of Worse Outcome After Hip Arthroscopy for Labral Repair and Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: The Greater the Damage, the Worse the Outcome

As the volume of hip arthroscopy continues to rise, determining appropriate indications for the procedure is of paramount importance. Outcomes can be predicted based on well-powered studies focused on determining which patients meet thresholds for achieving the minimal clinically important difference, the patient acceptable symptomatic state, and substantial clinical benefit after treatment. Recent research has shown that acetabular cartilage damage predicts lesser outcomes, and the more advanced the damage, the worse the results. What is concerning is that even the smallest degree of chondromalacia with fibrillation is a negative predictor of achieving the patient acceptable symptomatic state. In contrast, greater than 3 mm of joint space, no cysts, no dysplasia, younger age, lower alpha angle, preoperative 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool score greater than 48.5, and proper version all predict significant improvement after hip arthroscopy.

Elite Female Athletes Demonstrate a Comparable Improvement in Midterm Patient-Reported Outcome Scores and Rate of Return to Sport Compared With Elite Male Athletes After Hip Arthroscopic Surgery: A Sex-Based Comparison in Professional and Collegiate Athletes

BACKGROUND

Few studies have compared outcomes, return to sport (RTS), and continuation of sport (CTS) after primary hip arthroscopic surgery between matched groups of male and female athletes with a minimum 5-year follow-up.

PURPOSE

(1) To report minimum 5-year patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores as well as RTS and CTS rates for elite female athletes undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and (2) to compare clinical results with those of a matched control group of elite male athletes.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed for elite (collegiate or professional) female athletes who underwent primary hip arthroscopic surgery for FAIS between March 2009 and March 2016. Inclusion criteria were preoperative and minimum 5-year scores for the modified Harris Hip Score, Nonarthritic Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score-Sport Specific Subscale, and visual analog scale for pain. Exclusion criteria were Tönnis grade >1, hip dysplasia, previous ipsilateral hip surgery/conditions, and those unwilling to participate. Rates of achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS), and maximum outcome improvement satisfaction threshold (MOIST) were recorded in addition to RTS. CTS was also recorded and defined as athletes reporting continued sport activity at a minimum 5-year follow-up after initially reporting returning to sport. Elite female athletes were propensity matched in a 1:1 ratio to elite male athletes for comparison.

RESULTS

A total of 81 hips in elite female athletes that underwent primary hip arthroscopic surgery met the inclusion criteria, and follow-up was available for 65 hips (80.2%) at a mean of 67.6 ± 6.5 months, with a mean age of 24.3 ± 6.8 years. Female athletes demonstrated significant improvements in all recorded PRO scores; achieved the MCID, PASS, and MOIST at high rates; returned to sport at a rate of 80.4%; and continued sport at a rate of 97.1%. Female athletes demonstrated lower preoperative PRO scores compared with male athletes, but postoperative PRO scores; improvements in scores; rates of achieving the MCID, PASS, MOIST; and RTS and CTS rates were similar between female and male athletes.

CONCLUSION

Elite female athletes undergoing primary hip arthroscopic surgery for FAIS demonstrated favorable PRO scores and high RTS and CTS rates at a minimum 5-year follow-up. These results were comparable with those of a propensity-matched control group of elite male athletes.

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.

Patient-Reported Outcome Surveys for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome Demonstrate Strong Correlations, High Minimum Clinically Important Difference Agreement and Large Ceiling Effects

PURPOSE

To determine the correlation between different patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurements used to assess outcomes after arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) in a single cohort of patients.

METHODS

Patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS (without dysplasia, arthritis, or joint hypermobility) were retrospectively analyzed from a prospectively collected cohort. PROs collected before surgery and at 2-year follow-up included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (HOOS) with subscales for symptoms, pain, activities of daily living (ADL), sport, and quality of life (QoL), and the physical and mental components of the Short Form-12 (SF-12 PCS and SF-12 MCS).

RESULTS

Three hundred patients with 2 years' follow-up (mean age 35.1 ± 11.3, BMI 24.7 ± 3.8, 52.7% female, median Tönnis grade 1) were identified. All patients underwent femoroplasty and labral repair. There was a strong correlation among nearly all the PRO surveys at 2-year follow-up, with the highest correlations identified between mHHS and HOOS-Pain (r = .86, P < .001) and mHHS and HOOS-ADL (r = .85, P < .001). Preoperative scores and the change from preoperative to postoperative scores demonstrated an overall moderate correlation between surveys. There was a consistently weak correlation between the SF-12 MCS and all other PROs. There were strong agreements (67%-77%) in the patients achieving minimal clinically important differences (MCID) for each PRO survey. All surveys except the SF-12 demonstrated a ceiling effect after surgery, with 13% to 43% of patients achieving the maximum score.

CONCLUSIONS

PRO surveys used for FAIS demonstrate strong correlations, especially in the evaluation of patients during the postoperative period. MCID for VAS, mHHS, and HOOS demonstrate strong agreement, whereas large ceiling effects were seen with the mHHS and HOOS. The results support a more efficient use of PRO scores while being able to accurately capture patient outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV, retrospective case series.

Violation of expectations is correlated with satisfaction following hip arthroscopy

PURPOSE

The mechanism by which preoperative expectations may be associated with patient satisfaction and procedural outcomes following hip preservation surgery (HPS) is far from simple or linear. The purpose of this study is to better understand patient expectations regarding HPS and their relationship with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and satisfaction using machine learning (ML) algorithms.

METHODS

Patients scheduled for hip arthroscopy completed the Hip Preservation Surgery Expectations Survey (HPSES) and the pre- and a minimum 2 year postoperative International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33). Patient demographics, including age, gender, occupation, and body mass index (BMI), were also collected. At the latest follow-up, patients were evaluated for subjective satisfaction and postoperative complications. ML algorithms and standard statistics were used.

RESULTS

A total of 69 patients were included in this study (mean age 33.7 ± 13.1 years, 62.3% males). The mean follow-up period was 27 months. The mean HPSES score, patient satisfaction, preoperative, and postoperative iHOT-33 were 83.8 ± 16.5, 75.9 ± 26.9, 31.6 ± 15.8, and 73 ± 25.9, respectively. Fifty-nine patients (86%) reported that they would undergo the surgery again, with no significant difference with regards to expectations. A significant difference was found with regards to expectation violation (p < 0.001). Expectation violation scores were also found to be significantly correlated with satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

ML algorithms utilized in this study demonstrate that violation of expectations plays an important predictive role in postoperative outcomes and patient satisfaction and is associated with patients' willingness to undergo surgery again.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Staged Versus Simultaneous Bilateral Knee Arthroplasty: Does Minimal Cost Difference Justify Risks?

BACKGROUND

Simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) is associated with a higher risk but can be perceived to afford faster improvement and mitigated costs versus staged BTKA. We aimed to explore (1) health care utilization, (2) surgical supply costs of simultaneous BTKA; and (3) 1-year improvement in patient-reported pain, function, and quality of life (QOL) versus staged BTKA.

METHODS

A prospective cohort of 198 simultaneous and 625 staged BTKAs was obtained (2016-2020). Simultaneous BTKA cohort was propensity score-matched (1:2) to a similar group of staged patients (simultaneous = 198 versus staged = 396). Outcomes included length of stay, discharge disposition, 90-day readmission, 1-year reoperation, surgical episode supply cost, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)-pain, KOOS-Physical Function Short Form, and KOOS-QOL. Rates of attaining minimal clinically important difference and Patient Acceptable Symptomatic State were calculated.

RESULTS

Compared to both staged BTKA surgeries combined, simultaneous BTKA demonstrated shorter median net length of stay (2.00 [2.00, 3.00] days versus 2.00 [2.00, 4.00] days; P < .001) but higher rates of nonhome discharge (n = 56 [28.3%] versus n = 32 [4.04%]; P < .001), 90-day readmission (n = 20 [10.1%] versus n = 48 [6.06%]; P = .047) and similar reoperation rates (P = .44). Simultaneous BTKA afforded slight reduction in net surgical cost compared to that of both staged BTKAs combined ($643; P = .028). There was no significant difference in 1-year improvement and minimal clinically important difference attainment rates with simultaneous versus staged BTKA for KOOS-pain (P = .137 and P = .99), KOOS-QOL (P = .095 and P = .81), or KOOS-Physical Function Short Form (P = .75 and P = .49, respectively) or Patient Acceptable Symptomatic State (P = .12).

CONCLUSION

Staged BTKA is associated with similar 1-year pain, function, and QOL at a better safety profile and minimal surgical supply cost increase compared to simultaneous BTKA.

Establishing the Minimal Clinically Important Difference and Substantial Clinical Benefit for the Pain Visual Analog Scale in a Postoperative Hand Surgery Population

PURPOSE

Although the pain visual analog scale (VAS-pain) is a ubiquitous patient-reported outcome instrument, it remains unclear how to interpret changes or differences in scores. Therefore, our purpose was to calculate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and substantial clinical benefit (SCB) for the VAS-pain instrument in a nonshoulder hand and upper extremity postoperative population.

METHODS

Adult postoperative patients treated by 1 of 5 fellowship-trained orthopedic hand surgeons at a single tertiary academic medical center were identified. Inclusion required VAS-pain scores at baseline (up to 3 months before surgery) and follow-up (up to 4 months after surgery), in addition to a response to a pain-specific anchor question at follow-up. The MCID estimates were calculated with (1) the 1/2 standard deviation method; and (2) an anchor-based approach. The SCB estimates were calculated with (1) an anchor-based approach; and (2) a receiver operator curve method that maximized the sensitivity and specificity for detecting a "much improved" pain status.

RESULTS

There were 667 and 148 total patients included in the MCID and SCB analyses, respectively. The 1/2 standard deviation MCID estimate was 1.6, and the anchor-based estimate was 1.9. The anchor-based SCB estimate was 2.2. The receiver operator curve analysis yielded an SCB estimate of 2.6, with an area under the curve of 0.72, consistent with acceptable discrimination.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose MCID values in the range of 1.6 to 1.9 and SCB values in the range of 2.2 to 2.6 for the VAS-pain instrument in a nonshoulder hand and upper extremity postoperative population.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

These MCID and SCB estimates may be useful for powering clinical studies and when interpreting VAS-pain score changes or differences reported in the hand surgery literature. These values are to be applied at a population level, and should not be applied to assess the improvement, or lack thereof, for individual patients.

Younger Age, Capsular Repair, and Larger Preoperative Alpha Angles Are Associated With Earlier Achievement of Clinically Meaningful Improvement After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

PURPOSE

The purpose of the study was to analyze demographic, radiographic, and intraoperative factors that influence the time to achieve the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and maximum outcome improvement satisfaction threshold (MOIT) after primary hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and labral tear.

METHODS

Included patients had undergone hip arthroscopy with labral repair or reconstruction for FAIS with labral tear between February 2008 and October 2018. Patients were excluded if they had a prior ipsilateral hip surgery, prior hip conditions, a Tonnis grade > 1, or were unwilling to participate. Multiple demographic, radiographic, and intraoperative variables were collected. The modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS) were collected before surgery and at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. The MCID and MOIT for the mHHS and NAHS were either calculated or determined through previously published values. A time-to-event analysis was performed to determine variables predictive of early or delayed achievement of MCID or MOIT. Early achievement was defined as achieving MCID or MOIT at the 3-month timepoint.

RESULTS

Six hundred thirty-two hips (632 patients) were included. Of those that achieved MCID and MOIT, 428 (73.0%) and 414 (73.0%) patients achieved MCID and 253 (47.9%) and 264 (52.5%) patients achieved MOIT by 3 months after surgery for mHHS and NAHS, respectively. Younger age, capsular repair, and increasing alpha angle were associated with earlier achievement for either MCID or MOIT. Increasing age, worker's compensation claims, and higher baseline patient-reported outcome measure scores were associated with delayed achievement for either MCID or MOIT.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the patients who achieved MCID and MOIT for mHHS and NAHS did so by 3 months after surgery. Younger age, capsular repair, and increasing alpha angle were associated with earlier achievement of MCID and MOIT after hip arthroscopy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, case series.

Diagnostic intra-articular injection with provocative functional testing predicts patient-reported outcomes following hip arthroscopy: a prospective investigation

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the predictive value of preoperative diagnostic intra-articular injections with formal provocative post-injection functional testing on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following hip arthroscopy. Patients aged 14–40 with suspected labral pathology and/or femoroacetabular impingement were prospectively enrolled. Patients received a diagnostic intra-articular anesthetic injection then completed a battery of provocative physical function (PF) tests and were asked to rate the percentage of pain improvement. Patients completed PRO surveys preoperatively and up to 2 years postoperatively. PROs were compared between positive and negative injection response groups. Ninety-six patients received a diagnostic injection with provocative functional testing and subsequently underwent hip arthroscopy, 74 reported a positive injection response (≥75% improvement) and 22 reported a negative injection response (<75% improvement). The average postoperative follow-up was 12 months. Both groups experienced significant improvement in PROs postoperatively. A positive injection response was associated with greater improvements in hip outcome score, Non-Arthritic Hip Score, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain interference and PROMIS PF at final follow-up compared to a negative injection response. Similar improvements in modified Harris Hip Score, Visual Analog Scale hip pain and PROMIS depression were experienced between groups. These results indicate that diagnostic intra-articular hip anesthetic injection with provocative functional testing may be a valuable predictor of pain and PF following hip arthroscopy. However, patients with negative injection responses still experienced significant clinical improvement in their postoperative outcomes. As such, a negative injection response should not preclude patients from being surgical candidates, but their outcomes may be less predictable.

Outcomes and Return-to-Sport Rates for Elite Athletes With Femoral Retroversion Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy: A Propensity-Matched Analysis With Minimum 2-Year Follow-up

Background:

Return to sports (RTS) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for elite athletes with femoral version abnormalities undergoing hip arthroscopy have not been well established.

Purposes:

To (1) report minimum 2-year PROs and RTS rates in elite athletes with femoral retroversion who underwent primary hip arthroscopy and (2) compare clinical results to those of a propensity-matched control group of elite athletes with normal femoral version who underwent primary hip arthroscopy.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed for elite (professional and collegiate) athletes with femoral version <5°, as measured on magnetic resonance imaging scans, who underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome between March 2010 and April 2018. Inclusion criteria were preoperative and minimum 2-year follow-up PROs for the modified Harris Hip Score, Nonarthritic Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score–Sports Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), and visual analog scale for pain. Exclusion criteria were Tönnis grade >1, hip dysplasia, and previous ipsilateral hip surgery or conditions. Rates of achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS), and maximum outcome improvement satisfaction threshold were recorded in addition to RTS. Athletes with retroversion were propensity matched in a 1:2 ratio to elite athletes with normal femoral version (5°-20°) for comparison.

Results:

A total of 33 elite athletes (33 hips) with femoral retroversion who underwent hip arthroscopy met the inclusion criteria, and follow-up was available for 30 hips in 30 athletes (90.9%) at an average of 36.1 ± 25.6 months. Elite athletes with femoral retroversion demonstrated significant improvements in all recorded PROs, achieved the MCID and PASS for the HOS-SSS at high rates (86.7%), and returned to sports at a rate of 83.3%. PROs, rates of achieving MCID and PASS for the HOS-SSS, and RTS rates were similar between the study and propensity-matched control group.

Conclusion:

Elite athletes with femoral retroversion undergoing primary hip arthroscopy demonstrated favorable PROs and high RTS rates at a minimum 2-year follow-up. These results were comparable with those of a propensity-matched control group of elite athletes with normal femoral version.

Maximal Outcome Improvement Willingness Thresholds Are Predictive of a Patient’s Willingness to Undergo the Same Surgery, in Retrospect, Given the Known Outcome of Their Primary Hip Arthroscopy

Purpose

To determine the percent maximal outcome improvement willingness thresholds (MOWTs) for the Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS) and the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain that were associated with a patient’s willingness to undergo surgery, in retrospect, given the known outcome of their primary hip arthroscopy with concomitant endoscopy for gluteus medius (GM) tear repair.

Methods

An anchor question was provided to patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome with concomitant endoscopic GM tear repair between April 2008 to April 2020. Patients were included if they answered the anchor question and had baseline and postoperative minimum 1-year follow-up scores for the NAHS and VAS. Patients were excluded if they had a previous ipsilateral hip surgery, Tönnis grade >1, hip dysplasia, previous hip conditions, or a preoperative score that was already at the maximum value for the NAHS and VAS scores. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the MOWT. Significance was indicated by a P value <.05.

Results

A total of 107 patients (107 hips) were included, with 101 (94.4%) females and 6 (5.6%) males. The average age and body mass index was 56.20 ± 9.88 years and 28.80 ± 4.92 kg/m², respectively. The average follow-up time was 54.89 ± 29.52 months. The ROC analysis determined that the MOWT for the mHHS and VAS were 54.7%, and 62.6%, respectively. The probability of a patient being willing to undergo surgery again if they met the MOWT was 85.8% and 85.6% for the NAHS and VAS, respectively.

Conclusion

The MOWTs that were predictive of willingness to undergo surgery again following primary hip arthroscopy with concomitant endoscopy for GM tear repair were 54.7% and 62.6% for the NAHS, and VAS, respectively.

Clinical Relevance

Outcome assessment has been a point of increasing emphasis in hip preservation surgery. Having a tool to measure whether patients would go through the process of surgery again knowing their current outcome status is important to understanding outcomes after surgery.

Routine Capsular Closure With Hip Arthroscopic Surgery Results in Superior Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

In hip arthroscopic surgery, capsulotomy is performed to improve visualization and allow instrumentation of the joint. Traditionally, the defect has been left unrepaired; however, increasing evidence suggests that this may contribute to persistent pain and iatrogenic capsular instability. Nevertheless, the clinical benefit of performing routine capsular repair remains controversial.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effects of routine capsular closure on patient-reported outcomes (PROs), hypothesizing that superior PROs would be observed with routine capsular closure.

STUDY DESIGN

Meta-analysis and systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The terms "hip,""arthroscopy,""capsule,""capsular,""repair," and "closure" were used to query Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), SPORTDiscus, and PubMed. Articles with PROs stratified by capsular management were included. Multivariate mixed-effects metaregression models were implemented with study-level random-effects and fixed-effects moderators for capsular closure versus no repair and after controlling for surgical indication and preoperative PROs. The effect of repair on both the postoperative score and the change in scores was evaluated via the Harris Hip Score (HHS)/modified HHS (mHHS), Hip Outcome Score (HOS)-Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and HOS-Sport Specific Subscale (SSS), with a supplemental analysis of additional outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 432 initial articles, 36 were eligible for analysis, with results for 5132 hip arthroscopic procedures. The capsule was repaired in 3427 arthroscopic procedures and unrepaired in 1705. Capsular repair was associated with significantly higher postoperative HHS/mHHS (2.011; SE, 0.743 [95% CI, 0.554-3.467]; P = .007), HOS-ADL (3.635; SE, 0.873 [95% CI, 1.923-5.346]; P < .001), and HOS-SSS (4.137; SE, 1.205 [95% CI, 1.775-6.499]; P < .001) scores as well as significantly superior improvement on the HHS/mHHS (2.571; SE, 0.878 [95% CI, 0.849-4.292]; P = .003), HOS-ADL (3.315; SE, 1.131 [95% CI, 1.099-5.531]; P = .003), and HOS-SSS (3.605; SE, 1.689 [95% CI, 0.295-6.915]; P = .033).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis is the largest to date evaluating the effect of capsular closure on PROs and demonstrates significantly higher mean postoperative scores and significantly superior improvement with repair, while controlling for the effects of preoperative score and surgical indication. The true magnitude of the benefit of capsular repair may be clarified by large prospective randomized studies using PRO measures specifically targeted and validated for hip arthroscopic surgery/preservation.

Defining the Patient Acceptable Symptom State for the HOOS JR and KOOS JR After Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

It is essential to quantify an acceptable outcome after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) in order to understand quality of care. The purpose of this study was to define patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) thresholds for the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Joint Replacement (KOOS JR) and the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Joint Replacement (HOOS JR) after TJA.

METHODS

A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, leveraging 2-year satisfaction of "moderate improvement" or better as the anchor, was used to establish PASS thresholds among 5,216 patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty and 4,036 who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty from 2007 to 2012 with use of an institutional registry. Changes in PASS thresholds were explored by stratifying and recalculating these thresholds by age at the time of surgery (<70 or ≥70 years of age), sex (men or women), body mass index (BMI; <30 or ≥30 kg/m2), and baseline Short Form-36 (SF-36) physical and mental component scores (<50 or ≥50).

RESULTS

The HOOS JR PASS threshold was 76.7 (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.91), which was achieved by 4,334 patients (83.1%). The KOOS JR PASS threshold was 63.7 (AUC = 0.89), which was achieved by 3,461 patients (85.8%). Covariate stratification demonstrated that PASS thresholds were higher in men compared with women, and in those with higher preoperative SF-36 physical and mental scores (≥50) compared with lower SF-36 scores (<50). Results differed between instruments for BMI and age: higher BMI was associated with a lower PASS threshold for the HOOS JR but a higher PASS threshold for the KOOS JR. The HOOS JR PASS threshold was higher in patients who were <70 years of age compared with those who were ≥70 years of age, but was equivalent for the KOOS JR.

CONCLUSIONS

The PASS thresholds for the HOOS JR and KOOS JR at 2 years after TJA were 76.7 and 63.7, respectively. The PASS thresholds were associated with certain preoperative covariates, suggesting that an acceptable symptom state after TJA is influenced by patient-specific factors.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Multicenter Outcomes After Primary Hip Arthroscopy: A Comparative Analysis of Two-Year Outcomes After Labral Repair, Segmental Labral Reconstruction, or Circumferential Labral Reconstruction

PURPOSE

(1) To report minimum 2-year follow-up patient-reported outcome measures in patients undergoing labral repair (LR), segmental labral reconstruction (SLR), or circumferential labral reconstruction (CLR) in the primary setting; and (2) to compare minimum 2-year follow-up patient-reported outcome measures among these groups.

METHODS

A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained multicenter database of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy was performed. Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for treatment of labral tear and femoroacetabular impingement syndrome between January 2014 and October 2017, and completion of minimum 2-year postoperative outcome scores. Exclusion criteria were patients undergoing revision hip surgery, labral treatment limited to debridement, lateral center-edge angle <20°, osteoarthritis (Tönnis grade > 1), slipped capital femoral epiphysis, workers compensation status, and patients undergoing concomitant gluteus medius and/or minimus repair. Labral reconstruction patients were matched (1:3) with labral repair patients on age, sex, and body mass index. The labral reconstruction group was further stratified into SLR, and CLR groups. Patient demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes including Hip Outcome Score - Activities of Daily Living, Hip Outcome Score - Sport Subscale, modified Harris Hip Score, international Hip Outcome Tool, and visual analog scale for pain were analyzed, as well as achievement of the minimal clinical improvement difference (MCID). A P-value less than .05 indicated statistical significance.

RESULTS

A total of 416 patients were included (LR, n = 312; SLR, n = 53; CLR, n = 51). The age, body mass index, and sex of the matched cohort were 42.3 ± 11.2 years, 24.7 ± 3.7, and 55.0% female. At a minimum of 2-year after hip arthroscopic surgery, no differences were found in preoperative, postoperative, or the delta visual analog scale for pain, modified Harris Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score - Activities of Daily Living, Hip Outcome Score - Sport Subscale, or international Hip Outcome Tool. Subsequently, the proportion of patients achieving the MCID and the PASS at latest follow-up were analyzed. This analysis revealed that no significant differences in the rate of MCID or PASS achievement for any outcome measure existed based on labral treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

In this multicenter study on labral treatment in the primary setting, patients undergoing LR, SLR, and CLR demonstrated no difference in preoperative or postoperative scores, nor the proportion of patients achieving clinically significant outcome improvement.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III; therapeutic outcome study with controls.

Labral Tear Management in Patients Aged 40 Years and Older Undergoing Primary Hip Arthroscopy: A Propensity-Matched Case-Control Study With Minimum 2-Year Follow-up

BACKGROUND

Previous literature has suggested that primary acetabular labral reconstruction leads to lower secondary surgery rates than does labral repair for patients aged ≥40 years.

PURPOSE

To report minimum 2-year patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores, survivorship, and secondary surgeries in patients aged ≥40 years who underwent primary hip arthroscopy with labral reconstruction compared with a propensity-matched primary labral repair group.

STUDY DESIGN

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed for patients who underwent a primary hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome between January 2014 and June 2018. Patients aged ≥40 years who underwent a labral reconstruction or a labral repair and had preoperative and minimum 2-year PROs for the modified Harris Hip Score, Nonarthritic Hip Score, and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain were included. Patients with previous ipsilateral hip conditions and surgery, Tönnis grade >1, hip dysplasia, or workers' compensation status were excluded. Patients in the reconstruction group were propensity matched 1:2 to patients in the repair group based on age, sex, and body mass index. Secondary surgeries and achievement of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), patient acceptable symptom state (PASS), and maximum outcome improvement (MOI) were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 53 and 106 hips were included in the labral reconstruction and repair groups, respectively. The average follow-up time was 37.6 months. The average ages for the reconstruction and repair groups were 48.01 ± 5.4 years and 48.61 ± 6.0 years, respectively. Both groups achieved significant improvements in all PROs at a minimum of 2 years, with similar achievements of MCID, PASS, and MOI, and comparable secondary surgery rates.

CONCLUSION

Patients aged ≥40 years who received primary labral repair and primary labral reconstruction achieved similar significant improvements in all PROs, VAS pain, and patient satisfaction at the minimum 2-year follow-up, with comparable rates of secondary surgeries and achieving MCID, PASS, and MOI. Based on these findings, labral repair remains the gold standard treatment for viable labrum in this population group, while reconstruction is a useful alternative for irreparable labrum.

Equality in Hip Arthroscopy Outcomes Can Be Achieved Regardless of Patient Socioeconomic Status

BACKGROUND

Access to quality health care and treatment outcomes can be affected by patients' socioeconomic status (SES).

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of patient SES on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after arthroscopic hip surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Demographic, radiographic, and intraoperative data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed on all patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and labral tear between February 2008 and September 2017 at one institution. Patients were divided into 4 cohorts based on the Social Deprivation Index (SDI) of their zip code. SDI is a composite measure that quantifies the level of disadvantage in certain geographical areas. Patients had a minimum 2-year follow-up for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), International Hip Outcome Tool-12, and visual analog scale (VAS) for both pain and satisfaction. Rates of achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) were calculated for the mHHS, NAHS, and VAS pain score. Rates of secondary surgery were also recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 680 hips (616 patients) were included. The mean follow-up time for the entire cohort was 30.25 months. Division of the cohort into quartiles based on the SDI national averages yielded 254 hips (37.4%) in group 1, 184 (27.1%) in group 2, 148 (21.8%) in group 3, and 94 (13.8%) in group 4. Group 1 contained the most affluent patients. There were significantly more men in group 4 than in group 2, and the mean body mass index was greater in group 4 than in groups 1 and 2. There were no differences in preoperative radiographic measurements, intraoperative findings, or rates of concomitant procedures performed. All preoperative and postoperative PROMs were similar between the groups, as well as in the rates of achieving the MCID or PASS. No differences in the rate of secondary surgeries were reported.

CONCLUSION

Regardless of SES, patients were able to achieve significant improvements in several PROMs after hip arthroscopy for FAIS and labral tear at the minimum 2-year follow-up. Additionally, patients from all SES groups achieved clinically meaningful improvement at similar rates.

Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome Results in 2 Recovery Patterns Based on Preoperative Pain and on Arthritis: Improvers and Non-improvers

Purpose

To analyze whether subgroups of patients could be distinguished with different functional recovery trajectories after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome and to identify differences between those subgroups using data from our prospective cohort registration.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the prospectively registered data of patients who had undergone hip arthroscopy for FAI syndrome in our clinic from 2015 through 2018. Latent class growth modeling and growth mixture modeling were used to identify and classify groups of patients according to the trajectory of functional recovery using the Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Life (HOS-ADL). We used univariable analysis and descriptive statistics to explore whether differences in group membership could be identified.

Results

A total of 100 patients were analyzed. Growth mixture modeling identified 2 main types of recovery pattern after surgery: patients in whom the HOS-ADL improved significantly after surgery to 90, whom we called the “improvers” (with fast initial improvement within 3 months that is maintained during follow-up), and patients who did not significantly benefit from surgery (with only mild improvement in the HOS-ADL at 3 months and no further change during follow-up), whom we called the “non-improvers.” Univariable analysis and comparison of differences between subgroups showed higher preoperative visual analog scale scores for pain and more intraoperative arthrosis of the femoral head for the non-improvers.

Conclusions

We identified 2 main types of recovery pattern after arthroscopic treatment of FAI syndrome: improvers and non-improvers. Both groups recover in a different manner postoperatively. Preoperative pain and intraoperative arthrosis of the femoral head differed in the non-improvers compared with the improvers.

Level of evidence

Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Application of Machine Learning Algorithms to Predict Clinically Meaningful Improvement After Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background:

Understanding specific risk profiles for each patient and their propensity to experience clinically meaningful improvement after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is important for preoperative patient counseling and management of expectations.

Purpose:

To develop machine learning algorithms to predict achievement of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) on the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score at a minimum 2-year follow-up after ACLR.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

An ACLR registry of patients from 27 fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeons at a large academic institution was retrospectively analyzed. Thirty-six variables were tested for predictive value. The study population was randomly partitioned into training and independent testing sets using a 70:30 split. Six machine learning algorithms (stochastic gradient boosting, random forest, neural network, support vector machine, adaptive gradient boosting, and elastic-net penalized logistic regression [ENPLR]) were trained using 10-fold cross-validation 3 times and internally validated on the independent set of patients. Algorithm performance was assessed using discrimination, calibration, Brier score, and decision-curve analysis.

Results:

A total of 442 patients, of whom 39 (8.8%) did not achieve the MCID, were included. The 5 most predictive features of achieving the MCID were body mass index ≤27.4, grade 0 medial collateral ligament examination (compared with other grades), intratunnel femoral tunnel fixation (compared with suspensory), no history of previous contralateral knee surgery, and achieving full knee extension preoperatively. The ENPLR algorithm had the best relative performance (C-statistic, 0.82; calibration intercept, 0.10; calibration slope, 1.15; Brier score, 0.068), demonstrating excellent predictive ability in the study’s data set.

Conclusion:

Machine learning, specifically the ENPLR algorithm, demonstrated good performance for predicting a patient’s propensity to achieve the MCID for the IKDC score after ACLR based on preoperative and intraoperative factors. The femoral tunnel fixation method was the only significant intraoperative variable. Range of motion and medial collateral ligament integrity were found to be important physical examination parameters. Increased body mass index and prior contralateral surgery were also significantly predictive of outcome.

Clinically Significant Outcome Improvement After Hip Arthroscopy in Patients With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome and Severe Femoral Torsion

Background:

The influence of femoral torsion on clinically significant outcome improvement after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) has not been well-studied.

Purpose:

To quantify femoral torsion in FAIS patients using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and explore the relationship between femoral torsion and clinically significant outcome improvement after hip arthroscopy.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Included were patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for FAIS between January 2012 and August 2018 and had 2-year follow-up and preoperative MRI scans containing transcondylar slices of the knee. Participants were categorized as having severe retrotorsion (SR; <0°), normal torsion (NT; 0°-25°), and severe antetorsion (SA; >25°) as measured on MRI. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) included the Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Living, Hip Outcome Score–Sports Subscale, modified Harris Hip Score, 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12), and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and satisfaction. Achievement of Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) and substantial clinical benefit (SCB) were analyzed among cohorts.

Results:

Included were 183 patients (SR, n = 13; NT, n = 154; SA, n = 16) with a mean age, body mass index, and femoral torsion of 30.6 ± 12.1 years, 24.0 ± 4.4 kg/m², and 12.55° ± 9.58°, respectively. The mean torsion was –4.5° ± 2.6° for the SR, 12.1° ± 6.8° for the NT, and 31.0° ± 3.6° for the SA group. There were between-group differences in the proportion of patients who achieved PASS and SCB on the iHOT-12, pain VAS, and any PRO (P < .05). Post hoc analysis indicated that the SA group achieved lower rates of PASS and SCB on the iHOT-12 and pain VAS, and lower rates of PASS on any PRO versus the SR group (P < .05); the SR group achieved higher rates of PASS and SCB on pain VAS scores versus the NT group (P = .003).

Conclusion:

The orientation and severity of femoral torsion during hip arthroscopy influenced the propensity for clinically significant outcome improvement. Specifically, patients with femoral retrotorsion and femoral antetorsion had higher and lower rates of clinically significant outcome improvement, respectively.

Multicenter Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopy: Comparative Analysis of Patients Undergoing Concomitant Labral Repair and Ligamentum Teres Debridement Versus Isolated Labral Repair

Background:

Increased attention has been directed toward the ligamentum teres (LT) and its association with acetabular coverage, labral pathology, and hip microinstability; however, few studies have evaluated whether LT pathology influences the rate of clinically significant outcome improvement after hip arthroscopy.

Purpose:

To determine if patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) undergoing labral repair and concomitant LT debridement achieve outcomes similar to patients without LT pathology undergoing labral repair.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained multicenter database for hip arthroscopy. Included were patients with FAIS who underwent primary labral repair and who had preoperative and minimum 2-year postoperative outcome scores. Patients diagnosed with concomitant partial LT tear were identified and matched 1:3 according to age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) to patients without LT pathology. The following clinical outcomes were compared between groups: modified Harris Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Living, Hip Outcome Score–Sport Subscale, International Hip Outcome Tool, and visual analog scale for pain and satisfaction. Achievement of the minimal clinically important difference and patient acceptable symptomatic state was also compared between groups.

Results:

This study included 124 patients with FAIS with labral tear and concomitant partial LT tear and 372 patients with labral tear and no LT pathology. The age, BMI, and sex of the matched cohort were 38.0 ± 12.0 years (mean ± SD), 24.3 ± 3.6 kg/m2, and 62.0% female, respectively. No significant difference in age, BMI, sex, workers’ compensation status, or duration of pain was observed at baseline. Analysis of radiographic parameters indicated that patients who underwent isolated labral repair had a lower preoperative Tönnis angle (4.8° ± 4.4° vs 6.3° ± 5.4°; P = .006). There were no significant differences between groups on any pre- or postoperative outcome measure, and there were no significant differences in the proportion of patients who achieved the minimal clinically important difference or patient acceptable symptomatic state on any outcome measure.

Conclusion:

Patients with labral tear and concomitant partial LT tear experienced similar preoperative scores and achieved similar outcomes as patients with isolated labral tears after hip arthroscopy.

Multicenter Outcomes After Revision Hip Arthroscopy: Comparative Analysis of 2-Year Outcomes After Labral Repair Versus Labral Reconstruction

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of literature evaluating patient outcomes in patients undergoing revision labral repair and labral reconstruction.

PURPOSE

To compare outcomes in patients undergoing revision hip arthroscopy for treatment of labral tears by labral repair or labral reconstruction.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained multicenter database of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy was performed. An a priori power analysis determined that a total of 62 patients were required. Patients undergoing revision hip arthroscopy for labral tears with completed 2-year outcome scores were included. Patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy, labral debridement, concomitant gluteal repair, and patients with hip dysplasia (lateral center-edge angle <20°) were excluded. Patients were grouped into revision labral repair and labral reconstruction groups. Patient demographics and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) including Hip Outcome Score - Activities of Daily Living, Hip Outcome Score - Sport Subscale, modified Harris Hip Score, international Hip Outcome Tool-12, visual analog scale for pain and satisfaction, and achievement of minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 40 patients underwent revision labral repair and 55 patients underwent labral reconstruction. Patients undergoing revision labral repair were younger (mean age, 30.0 ± 10.7 years vs 34.4 ± 9.7 years; P = .048), had lower rates of labral degeneration (25.0% vs 62.7%; P = .004), and had lower rates of severe complexity of tears (21.1% vs 66.0%; P = .003). However, the labral repair group had higher rates of articular cartilage damage (62.5% vs 33.3%; P = .009). There were no differences in any preoperative or 2-year postoperative PROs. Furthermore, no differences were seen in achievement of MCID or PASS in any PRO.

CONCLUSION

In this multicenter study on revision hip arthroscopy, patients undergoing revision labral repair were younger and had better labral characteristics but greater cartilage damage compared with patients undergoing labral reconstructions. Despite these differences, patients who underwent labral repair reported similar outcomes to those undergoing labral reconstruction.

Publication Trends and Hot Spots in Femoroacetabular Impingement Research: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has attracted increasing attention over the past few decades. We aim to evaluate FAI research and predict research hot spots quantitatively and qualitatively.

METHODS

The publications in FAI research between 2000 and 2019 were assimilated from the Web of Science Core Collection of Clarivate Analytics. The retrieved data were evaluated by the bibliometric method. Software CiteSpace 5.7.R1, VOSviewer 1.6.15, and the Online Analysis Platform of Literature Metrology (http://bibliometric.com/) were used to analyze and identify the hot spots and trends in this field.

RESULTS

A total of 2471 originals articles that fulfilled the study requirements were obtained. The number of manuscripts on FAI has experienced rapid growth, especially after 2009. The United States of America was the leading country for publication and to the collaboration network. FAI, osteoarthritis, hip arthroscopy, labral reconstruction, pathomorphology, outcome, rehabilitation, and joint cartilage are some of the high-frequency keywords in co-occurrence cluster analysis and cocited reference cluster analysis. Burst detection analysis of top keywords revealed that outcomes, instability, labral reconstruction, adolescent, and risk factor were newly emerged research hot spots.

CONCLUSION

The understanding of FAI has been improved significantly during the past two decades. Present studies focused on identifying the optimal method to treat labral pathology, outcome assessment of either surgeries or conservative managements, and predicting midterm and long-term outcomes. Together these studies exert critical implications for decision-making and management for FAI.

The effect of smoking on achieving meaningful clinical outcomes one year after lumbar tubular microdecompression: a matched-pair cohort analysis

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

There has been a shift in the spine literature in reporting meaningful outcomes, including meaningful clinically important difference (MCID), after surgery. The evidence on the effect of tobacco smoking at the time of lumbar tubular microdecompression (LTMD) on meaningful outcomes is limited.

PURPOSE

To compare differences in 1-year functional outcomes and rates of achieving MCID between current smokers and non-smokers who underwent LTMD for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).

STUDY DESIGN

A nested case control study to compare the difference in patient reported outcomes (PROs) between smokers and non-smokers 1-year after undergoing LTMD.

PATIENT SAMPLE

This study included patients that underwent single level LTMD by a single surgeon between January 2014 through August 2019.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Preoperative and postoperative PROs were recorded using the questionnaires EQ-5D, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the visual analog scale (VAS) for back pain and leg pain. The MCID was also used.

METHODS

Current tobacco smokers at the time of surgery were matched 1:2 to non-smokers by age (+/- 1year). Preoperative and postoperative functional scores were compared between the two groups using independent t-tests. Additionally, thresholds for achieving MCID were calculated for each individual functional score, and were compared using Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

Of the 183 patients with 1-year follow-up who met inclusion criteria, 35 patients were identified as smokers and were matched to 70 non-smokers. No statistical differences were identified between age, BMI, or gender. Comparison of preoperative PROs showed no statistically significant differences between smokers and non-smokers (p>0.05 for all), while smokers had statistically lower EQ-5D (p<0.001) and higher ODI (p=0.05), VAS back (p=0.033), and VAS leg (p=0.03) score averages at a minimum of one year follow-up. Evaluation of meaningful outcomes demonstrated non-smokers had higher rates of achieving MCID on at least 1 threshold score as compared to smokers (98.5% vs. 91.1%; p=0.043).

CONCLUSIONS

Current smokers at the time of surgery have inferior postoperative EQ-5D scores, increased pain and disability, and lower odds of achieving the MCID at 1-year after undergoing LTMD when compared to patients without any smoking history.

Defining Clinically Significant Improvement on the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Test at 1-Year Follow-up for Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for the Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

BACKGROUND

Although minimal clinically important difference (MCID), Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS), and substantial clinical benefit (SCB) have been defined for hip-specific legacy patient-reported outcome measures, these metrics have not been defined for the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) instruments for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.

PURPOSE

To define the MCID, PASS, and SCB thresholds for the PROMIS Physical Function (PF) computerized adaptive test (CAT) and PROMIS Pain Interference (PI) instruments in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

METHODS

Patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy between August 2018 and January 2019 for the treatment of FAIS were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were administered the PROMIS-PF, PROMIS-PI, Hip Outcome Score (HOS)-Activities of Daily Living, HOS-Sports Subscale, modified Harris Hip Score, and International Hip Outcome Tool-12 preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively. MCID was calculated using the distribution method, whereas PASS and SCB were calculated using an anchor-based method. Patients achieving clinically significant outcomes (CSOs) were compared with those who did not achieve CSOs via chi-square and independent-samples t tests, and a multivariate logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors of CSO achievement.

RESULTS

124 patients with a mean age of 32.7 ± 12.3 years were included in the analysis. The threshold scores required to achieve MCID, PASS, and SCB, respectively, were as follows: PROMIS-PI (-3.1, 53.7, 51.9) and PROMIS-PF (3.3, 47.0, 49.9). Patients achieved any MCID, PASS, and SCB for PROMIS scores at a rate of 89.0%, 71.8%, and 62.1%, respectively, compared with 87.1%, 76.6%, and 71.8% for legacy patient-reported outcome measurements. For PROMIS-PF, higher preoperative PROMIS-PF score was a positive predictor of CSO achievement, and patients achieving SCB were significantly younger (30.3 ± 12 vs 35.6 ± 12 years; P = .017) with significantly lower body mass index (BMI) (24.7 ± 6.4 vs 27.9 ± 7; P = .009). Preoperative chronic pain and history of orthopaedic surgery were negative predictors of PROMIS-PI CSO achievement, whereas higher (worse) preoperative PROMIS-PI scores were a positive predictor.

CONCLUSION

Our study defined the MCID, PASS, and SCB for the PROMIS-PF CAT and PROMIS-PI CAT at 1 year postoperatively. Patients with higher preoperative PROMIS scores, younger age, and lower BMI were more likely to achieve CSO, whereas preoperative chronic pain and history of orthopaedic surgery were negative predictors of CSO achievement.

Association Between Orientation and Magnitude of Femoral Torsion and Propensity for Clinically Meaningful Improvement After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Computed Tomography Analysis

BACKGROUND

Femoral torsion imaging measurements and classifications are heterogeneous throughout the literature, and the influence of femoral torsion on clinically meaningful outcome improvement after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) has not been well studied.

PURPOSE

To (1) perform a computed tomography (CT)-based analysis to quantify femoral torsion in patients with FAIS and (2) explore the relationship between the orientation and magnitude of femoral torsion and the propensity for clinically meaningful outcome improvement after hip arthroscopy.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Consecutive patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for FAIS between January 2012 and April 2018 were identified. Inclusion criteria were the presence of preoperative CT imaging with transcondylar slices of the knee and minimum 2-year outcome measures. Exclusion criteria were revision hip arthroscopy, Tönnis grade >1, congenital hip condition, hip dysplasia (lateral center-edge angle <20°), and concomitant gluteus medius or minimus repair. Torsion groups were defined as severe retrotorsion (SR; <0°), moderate retrotorsion (MR; 0°-5°), normal torsion (N; 5°-20°), moderate antetorsion (MA; 20°-25°), and severe antetorsion of antetorsion (SA; >25°). Treatment did not differ based on femoral torsion. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were analyzed, including the Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), Hip Outcome Score-Sports Subscale (HOS-SS), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), international Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, and VAS for satisfaction. Achievement of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) by torsion stratification was analyzed using the chi-square test. Inter- and intrarater reliabilities for CT measurements were 0.980 (P < .001) and 0.974 (P < .001), respectively.

RESULTS

The study included 573 patients with a mean ± SD age and body mass index of 32.6 ± 11.8 years and 25.6 ± 10.6, respectively. The mean ± SD femoral torsion for the study population was 12.3°± 9.3°. After stratification, the number of patients within each group and the mean ± SD torsion for each group were as follows: SR (n = 36; -6.5°± 7.1°), MR (n = 80; 2.8°± 1.4°), N (n = 346; 12.3°± 4.1°), MA (n = 64; 22.2°± 1.4°), and SA (n = 47; 30.3°± 3.7°). No significant differences in age, body mass index, sex, tobacco use, workers' compensation status, or participation in physical activity were observed at baseline. No significant differences were seen in pre- and postoperative VAS pain, mHHS, HOS-ADL, HOS-SS, iHOT-12, or postoperative VAS satisfaction among the cohorts. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were found in the proportion of patients who achieved the MCID or the PASS for any outcome among the groups.

CONCLUSION

The orientation and severity of femoral torsion at the time of hip arthroscopy for FAIS did not influence the propensity for clinically significant outcome improvement.

Effect of Capsular Closure After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome on Achieving Clinically Meaningful Outcomes: A Meta-analysis of Prospective and Comparative Studies

Background:

Recent literature has demonstrated conflicting evidence as to whether capsular closure after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) results in superior outcomes compared with capsulotomy without repair. Additionally, these studies have not explored the effect of capsular management on clinically significant outcome improvement.

Purpose:

To perform a meta-analysis of prospective and comparative studies to determine whether capsular management influences the rate of clinically significant outcome improvement after hip arthroscopy for FAIS.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

PubMed, OVID/Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were queried in September 2020 for studies with evidence levels 1 to 3 that directly compared capsular management cohorts and reported rates of achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) at a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Studies of level 4 evidence, those not describing or directly comparing capsular management techniques as well as those not reporting the MCID were excluded. Methodological quality was assessed using the methodological index for nonrandomized studies tool. Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects models were constructed to quantitatively evaluate the association between capsular management and achievement of the MCID by generating effect estimates in the form of relative risk (RR) with 95% CIs.

Results:

A total of 6 studies with 1611 patients were included. The overall pooled rate of MCID achievement for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), and HOS Sports Subscale (HOS-SS) were 84.4%, 80.3%, and 82.5%, respectively, at a mean follow-up of 40.8 months (range, 24-87.6 months). Capsular closure was associated with a significantly higher rate of MCID achievement for the mHHS (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.10; P = .001) and trended toward statistical significance for the HOS-ADL (RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.0-1.24; P = .055) and the HOS-SS (RR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.99-1.21; P = .094).

Conclusion:

Although capsular closure appeared to result in higher rates of clinically significant outcome improvement in hip function, there was no definitively increased likelihood of achieving clinically significant improvement in relevant hip outcome scores with capsular closure.

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.

Complete Capsular Closure Provides Higher Rates of Clinically Significant Outcome Improvement and Higher Survivorship Versus Partial Closure After Hip Arthroscopy at Minimum 5-Year Follow-Up

PURPOSE

To (1) compare the rates of reaching threshold hip-specific outcome scores for achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) in patients who underwent partial versus complete T-capsulotomy repair and (2) identify the failure rates in each group 5 years after undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

METHODS

Data from consecutive patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for FAIS performed by a single fellowship-trained surgeon from January 2011 to March 2013 were collected and analyzed. Baseline data, hip-specific outcomes, and clinical failure rates were recorded at a minimum of 5 years postoperatively. Patients with partial T-capsulotomy repair were matched 1:3 by age, body mass index, and sex to patients with complete T-capsulotomy repair. Threshold scores for achieving the MCID and PASS were calculated and compared between the 2 groups. Additionally, rates of revision and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

A total of 379 patients were available for analysis (39 partial and 340 complete repairs), with 100 patients included in the matching process (25 in the partial-repair group and 75 in the complete-repair group). Comparison of radiographic parameters, including the Tönnis grade, alpha angle, and lateral center-edge angle, between the 2 groups showed no statistically significant difference (P > .05 for all). Comparison of postoperative score averages between the partial- and complete-closure groups showed a significant difference in the Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living Subscale (85.4 ± 17.7 vs 94.6 ± 7.8, P < .001), Hip Outcome Score-Sports Subscale (76.6 ± 26.2 vs 89.3 ± 16.8, P = .034), modified Harris Hip Score (83.2 ± 19.7 vs 90.5 ± 11.2, P = .035), and visual analog scale pain score (24.5 ± 30.8 vs 13.4 ± 15.8, P = .035). A total of 65 complete-repair patients (95.6%) achieved the MCID for at least 1 outcome measure versus 18 patients with partial repair (78.3%) (P = .04). A total of 69 complete-repair patients (92%) achieved the PASS for at least 1 outcome measure versus 18 partial-repair patients (72%) (P = .017). Of the 39 partial-repair patients, 35.9% (n = 14) underwent revision or conversion to THA, as compared with 2.9% (n = 10) in the overall cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

At a minimum 5-year follow-up, patients with complete capsular closure after hip arthroscopy for FAIS show superior long-term outcomes and achieve higher rates of meaningful clinical success when compared with patients with partial capsular closure. Furthermore, patients with partial capsular repair undergo revision or conversion to THA at high rates.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, retrospective comparative study.

Defining the Maximum Outcome Improvement of the Modified Harris Hip Score, the Nonarthritic Hip Score, the Visual Analog Scale For Pain, and the International Hip Outcome Tool-12 in the Arthroscopic Management for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome and Labral Tear

PURPOSE

To determine the respective percent thresholds for achieving the maximal outcome improvement (MOI) for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), the Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, and the International Hip Outcome Tool-12 (iHOT-12) that were associated with satisfaction following hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral tear, and to identify preoperative predictors of reaching the mHHS, NAHS, VAS, and the iHOT-12 thresholds for achieving the MOI.

METHODS

An anchor question was provided to patients who underwent hip arthroscopy between April 2008 and April 2019. Patients were included if they answered the anchor question and had minimum 1-year follow-up. Patients were excluded if they had a previous ipsilateral hip surgery, a Tönnis grade >1, hip dysplasia, or a previous hip condition. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine the thresholds for the percentage of the MOI predictive of satisfaction. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine predictors of achieving the MOI threshold.

RESULTS

In total, 407 hips (375 patients) were included, with 279 female patients (68.6%). The average age, body mass index, and follow-up time were 38.8 ± 13.7 years, 26.6 ± 5.8, and 51.8 ± 33.2 months, respectively. Satisfaction with the current state of their hip was reported in 77.9% (317) of the cases. It was determined that 54.8%, 52.5%, 55.5%, and 55.8% of MOI were the thresholds for maximal predictability of satisfaction for mHHS, NAHS, VAS, and iHOT-12, respectively. Predictors of achieving MOI were not identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Following hip arthroscopy in the context of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral tear, the thresholds for achieving the MOI for the mHHS, NAHS, VAS for pain, and iHOT-12 were 54.8%, 52.5%, 55.5%, and 55.8% respectively. No preoperative predictors of achieving the MOI were identified.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV, case-series.

Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome in Adolescents Provides Clinically Significant Outcome Benefit at Minimum 5-Year Follow-Up

PURPOSE

To report the rates of achieving clinically significant outcomes as defined by the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS), or substantial clinical benefit (SCB) in adolescent patients and the rates of clinical failure 5 years after undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

METHODS

Data from consecutive adolescent patients (defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics as age 11 to 21 years) who underwent primary hip arthroscopy with routine capsular closure for the treatment of FAIS between January 2012 and January 2015 by a single, fellowship-trained surgeon was collected. Baseline data, clinical outcomes including Hip Outcome Score (HOS)-Activities of Daily Living, HOS-Sports Subscale, modified Harris hip score, international Hip Outcome Tool, and clinical failure rates were recorded at 5 years after operative. Clinical failure was defined by revision hip arthroscopy or conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Clinically significant outcomes was defined as achieving MCID, PASS, or SCB on at least 1 hip-specific outcome measure.

RESULTS

Of the 139 eligible patients, a total of 85 (60.4%) patients (85 hips) were included in the final analysis, with an age and body mass index average of 17.6 ± 2.5 years (range 13-21) and 22.3 ± 3.1 kg/m², respectively. The majority of the patients were female (80.6%) and participated in sports (76.2%). There was statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative score averages across every reported outcome (P < .001). At 5 years, 88.4%, 67.6%, and 64.9% reached at least 1 threshold for achieving MCID, PASS, and SCB, respectively, whereas 89.2% achieved at least one of the meaningful outcome thresholds. Last, 2 patients (2.4%) failed clinically, with both undergoing revision (2.4%) because of continued pain. There were no conversions to total hip arthroplasty.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that a large majority (89.2%) of adolescent patients undergoing primary arthroscopic treatment for symptomatic FAIS achieved meaningful clinically significant outcomes. Furthermore, only 2.4% of patients failed clinically, requiring revision hip arthroscopy because of continued pain.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV, Retrospective Case Series.

Development and Internal Validation of Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms for Predicting Clinically Significant Functional Improvement in a Mixed Population of Primary Hip Arthroscopy

PURPOSE

To (1) develop and validate a machine learning algorithm to predict clinically significant functional improvements after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and to (2) develop a digital application capable of providing patients with individual risk profiles to determine their propensity to gain clinically significant improvements in function.

METHODS

A retrospective review of consecutive hip arthroscopy patients who underwent cam/pincer correction, labral preservation, and capsular closure between January 2012 and 2017 from 1 large academic and 3 community hospitals operated on by a single high-volume hip arthroscopist was performed. The primary outcome was the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the Hip Outcome Score (HOS)-Activities of Daily Living (ADL) at 2 years postoperatively, which was calculated using a distribution-based method. A total of 21 demographic, radiographic, and patient-reported outcome measures were considered as potential covariates. An 80:20 random split was used to create training and testing sets from the patient cohort. Five supervised machine learning algorithms were developed using 3 iterations of 10-fold cross-validation on the training set and assessed by discrimination, calibration, Brier score, and decision curve analysis on an independent testing set of patients.

RESULTS

A total of 818 patients with a median (interquartile range) age of 32.0 (22.0-42.0) and 69.2% female were included, of whom 74.3% achieved the MCID for the HOS-ADL. The best-performing algorithm was the stochastic gradient boosting model (c-statistic = 0.84, calibration intercept = 0.20, calibration slope = 0.83, and Brier score = 0.13). Of the initial 21 candidate variables, the 8 most important features for predicting the MCID for the HOS-ADL included in model training were body mass index, age, preoperative HOS-ADL score, preoperative pain level, sex, Tönnis grade, symptom duration, and drug allergies. The algorithm was subsequently transformed into a digital application using local explanations to provide customized risk assessment: https://orthoapps.shinyapps.io/HPRG_ADL/.

CONCLUSIONS

The stochastic boosting gradient model conferred excellent predictive ability for propensity to gain clinically significant improvements in function after hip arthroscopy. An open-access digital application was created, which may augment shared decision-making and allow for preoperative risk stratification. External validation of this model is warranted to confirm the performance of these algorithms, as the generalizability is currently unknown.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV, Case series.

Functional Condition of Patients after Unilateral Hip Arthroscopy in the Process of FAI-Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Case-Control Study and Preliminary Report

Introduction: Femoroacetabular impingement is a commonly recognized condition among people with hip pain. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess how arthroscopy and physiotherapy treatment influenced the quality of life and functional condition of patients after arthroscopic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) surgery. Materials and methods: We examined 19 people for the study and included 12 (6 men and 6 women). Their mean age was 40.1 ± 9.7 years. Manual and digital goniometers were used for the range of motion (ROM) measurements, and a dynamometer for muscle strength was used. Results from the operated limb were compared to the nonoperated healthy limb. We examined the patient’s health and well-being using the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scales. The mean follow-up period was 21.2 months. Results: The postsurgery mean range of motion for all movements was lower in the operated limb. Statistically significant differences between limbs in ROM were observed for flexion, abduction, extension, and external rotation. Muscle strength was comparable between hip joints, except extension and adduction, which were statistically significantly weaker. The mean strength of the hip flexors and internal rotators was higher in the operated limb. After surgery, 67% of patients returned to exercise at the same or higher level. The mean HHS results were good, with values of 88.00 ± 11.48. The SF-36 scores were >50. Conclusion: After surgery and physiotherapy of FAI, ROM remained lower in the operated limb. Flexion and rotations remained to cause pain. The strength of flexors and internal rotators improved, and there was a high rate of return to sport.

Hip Arthroscopy in Smokers: A Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Outcomes and Complications in 18,585 Cases

BACKGROUND

Although the negative effects of smoking have been documented for other types of arthroscopic procedures, there is limited information regarding its influence on hip arthroscopy outcomes.

PURPOSE

To examine the effect of smoking on the following outcomes after hip arthroscopy: patient-reported outcomes (PROs), the degree of improvement in PROs relative to baseline, complication rates, and rates of revision arthroscopy and/or conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA).

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were queried for studies published between January 1, 1985, and January 14, 2020, comparing the outcomes of hip arthroscopy between smokers and nonsmokers. Case reports, basic science studies, and studies investigating pediatric patients or lacking a description of outcomes were excluded. Included outcome tools were the modified Harris Hip Score, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and satisfaction, and the Hip Outcome Score (HOS)-Sports Specific and HOS-Activities of Daily Living. Preoperative characteristics and operative indications were also recorded.

RESULTS

Postoperative combined means (± SD) were better in nonsmokers versus smokers for the modified Harris Hip Score (75.67 ± 20.88 vs 82.32 ± 15.5; P = .001), the VAS pain (3.13 ± 2.79 vs 2.13 ± 2.21; P < .001), and the HOS-Sports Specific (62.54 ± 25.38 vs 71.7 ± 23.3; P < .001). There was no difference between groups in VAS satisfaction (P = .23) or HOS-Activities of Daily Living (P = .13). The extent of PRO score improvement relative to baseline values was similar in smokers and nonsmokers in all PRO measures (P > .05 for all). Smokers demonstrated higher rates of postoperative thromboembolic (P = .0177) and infectious (P = .006) complications. There was no difference between rates of revision arthroscopy (P = .47) and THA conversion (P = .31).

CONCLUSION

Smoking adversely affects certain postoperative PROs and is associated with higher postoperative complication rates. Further studies are required investigating the degree of PRO improvement and long-term arthroscopy revision and THA conversion rates.

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.

Biomechanical and clinical outcomes in response to inpatient multidisciplinary hip and groin rehabilitation in UK military personnel

INTRODUCTION

Hip and groin related pain is a common complaint among the military population across UK Defence Rehabilitation and addressing associated biomechanical dysfunction is a key treatment goal. Personnel are exposed to complex occupational loads, therefore assessing movement during demanding tasks may expose biomechanical deficits. Observing biomechanical and clinical outcomes in response to treatment is therefore an important consideration. The aims were to examine clinical and biomechanical outcomes prior to (T₁) and 12 weeks post (T₂) inpatient rehabilitation and explore the influence of pathological subgroup.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study as part of a clinical service evaluation of 25 patients undergoing treatment for hip and groin related pain. Three-dimensional motion capture (3DM) during a single-leg squat, hip strength and patient-reported outcome measures were collected at T₁ and T₂.

RESULTS

Increased abductor and external rotator strength with reductions in contralateral pelvic drop (1.9°; p=0.041) at T₂ on the injured side. Pain reduced by 9.6 mm (p=0.017) but no differences were found for Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS). No statistically significant differences were found between pathological subgroups. Kinematic profiles display variation between diagnostic subgroups and response to treatment.

CONCLUSION

Strength and pain improved with treatment in this service evaluation although biomechanical adaptation and NAHS remain inconclusive. Small and uneven sample size prevents a firm conclusion regarding the effect of pathological subgroupings, however, the data can be considered hypothesis generating for future, larger studies to integrate 3DM for monitoring response to rehabilitation in pathological subgroups to support clinical decision making.

Biomechanical evaluation of a hybrid suture and anchor-based hip capsular repair

BACKGROUND

Hip capsulotomies, performed routinely during hip arthroscopy, can contribute to adverse joint kinematics. Direct repair is not always feasible. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the biomechanics of a conventional all-suture repair versus a hybrid suture and anchor-based capsular repair.

METHODS

Nine paired (n = 18) hips were tested on a joint-motion simulator, utilizing optical trackers to capture kinematic data. Pairs were randomly allocated to capsular repair type and tested as (1) intact, (2) after T-capsulotomy, and (3) repair each at 0°, 45°, and 90° flexion. Internal and external rotation torques and abduction/adduction torques of 3 N·m were applied and rotational range of motion and joint translations recorded.

FINDINGS

At 0°, following repair there were no significant differences in joint rotation or translations between repairs (p > 0.134). At 45°, both repair types restored motion to near intact values, with no significant differences between groups. Similarly, there were no significant differences in joint translations between repairs. At 90°, both types of capsular repair failed to restore rotational range of motion, with persistent increases in motion (47.0 ± 16.7°) compared to the intact condition (44.1 ± 15.8°, p = 0.006); however, there were no significant differences between repair groups. There were no significant differences in joint translations between repairs.

INTERPRETATION

Use of a hybrid repair produced comparable joint rotation and translation under all testing conditions as an all-suture repair. As such, this technique represents a viable option for capsular repair where proximal capsular tissue is deficient.

Adjunct Analgesia Reduces Pain and Opioid Consumption After Hip Arthroscopy: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

Patients who undergo hip arthroscopy inevitably experience pain postoperatively; however, the efficacy and safety of adjunct analgesia to prevent or reduce pain are not well-understood.

PURPOSE

To perform a comprehensive qualitative synthesis of available randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of adjunct analgesia on postoperative (1) pain, (2) opioid use, and (3) length of stay (LOS) in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

PubMed, OVID/MEDLINE, and Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials were queried for studies pertaining to analgesia interventions for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. Two authors independently assessed article bias and eligibility. Data pertaining to changes in pain scores, additional analgesia requirements, length of hospital stay, and complications were extracted and qualitatively reported. Network meta-analyses were constructed to depict mean pain, opioid use, and LOS among the 3 analgesia categories (blocks, local infiltration analgesia, and celecoxib).

RESULTS

Fourteen level 1 studies were included; 12 (85.7%) reported pain reductions in the immediate and perioperative period after hip arthroscopy. Of the 7 studies that assessed an intervention (2 celecoxib, 1 fascia iliaca block, 1 lumbar plexus block, 1 femoral nerve block, 1 intra-articular bupivacaine, 1 extracapsular bupivacaine) versus placebo, more than half reported that patients who received an intervention consumed significantly fewer opioids postoperatively than patients who received placebo (lowest P value = .0006). Of the same 7 studies, 2 reported significantly shortened LOS with interventions, while 4 reported no statistically significant difference in LOS and 1 did not report LOS as an outcome.

CONCLUSION

The majority of studies concerning adjunct analgesia for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy suggest benefits in pain reduction early in the postoperative period. There is mild evidence that adjunct analgesia reduces postoperative opioid use and currently inconclusive evidence that it reduces length of hospital stay. Furthermore, it appears that local infiltration analgesia may provide the greatest benefits in reductions in pain and opioid consumption. We recommend the use of adjunct analgesia in appropriately selected patients undergoing hip arthroscopy without contraindication who are at a high risk of severe postoperative pain.