Outcomes of Open and Endoscopic Repairs of Chronic Partial- and Full-Thickness Proximal Hamstring Tendon Tears: A Multicenter Study With Minimum 2-Year Follow-up

Hamstring Injuries: A Current Concepts Review: Evaluation, Nonoperative Treatment, and Surgical Decision Making

The purpose of this current concepts review is to highlight the evaluation and workup of hamstring injuries, nonoperative treatment options, and surgical decision-making based on patient presentation and injury patterns. Hamstring injuries, which are becoming increasingly recognized, affect professional and recreational athletes alike, commonly occurring after forceful eccentric contraction mechanisms. Injuries occur in the proximal tendon at the ischial tuberosity, in the muscle belly substance, or in the distal tendon insertion on the tibia or fibula. Patients may present with ecchymoses, pain, and weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging remains the gold standard for diagnosis and may help guide treatment. Treatment is dictated by the specific tendon(s) injured, tear location, severity, and chronicity. Many hamstring injuries can be successfully managed with nonoperative measures such as activity modification and physical therapy; adjuncts such as platelet-rich plasma injections are currently being investigated. Operative treatment of proximal hamstring injuries, including endoscopic or open approaches, is traditionally reserved for 2-tendon injuries with >2 cm of retraction, 3-tendon injuries, or injuries that do not improve with 6 months of nonoperative management. Acute surgical treatment of proximal hamstring injuries tends to be favorable. Distal hamstring injuries may initially be managed nonoperatively, although biceps femoris injuries are frequently managed surgically, and return to sport may be faster for semitendinosus injuries treated acutely with excision or tendon stripping in high-level athletes.

Association Between Proximal Hamstring Tear Characteristics and Achievement of Clinically Significant Outcomes After Endoscopic and Open Repair at Minimum 2-Year Follow-up

BACKGROUND

The effect of preoperative tear characteristics and the relative efficacy of open versus endoscopic surgical techniques have not been elucidated for the surgical treatment of proximal hamstring tendon injuries.

PURPOSE

(1) To report on achievement rates of clinically significant outcomes at a minimum 2-year follow-up for multiple patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after surgical treatment of proximal hamstring injuries, stratified according to severity of proximal hamstring injury, and (2) to compare clinical outcomes associated with endoscopic versus open surgical repair for a subset of similarly classified tears.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

A single-surgeon clinical registry was queried for patients who underwent surgical repair for proximal hamstring ruptures between January 2012 and March 2021. Injuries were classified by magnetic resonance imaging as follows: grade 1, incomplete tear with the involvement of 1 or 2 tendons; grade 2, complete tear with the involvement of 3 tendons and ≤2-cm retraction; and grade 3, complete tear with the involvement of 3 tendons and >2-cm retraction. The Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) for multiple PROs was calculated and compared among injury grades and between surgical techniques.

RESULTS

Among 75 patients with a mean follow-up of 30.5 ± 5.1 months, 20 had grade 1 tears, 24 had grade 2 tears, and 31 had grade 3 tears. Favorable 2-year postoperative PROs were demonstrated by each grade for all measured PROs. Patients with grade 3 tears were noted to have significantly lower rates of 2-year PASS achievement for the Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL) and Hip Outcome Score-Sports Specific (HOS-SS) scales (P≤ .032). Among grade 2 tears, patients treated endoscopically demonstrated significantly greater HOS-SS (endoscopic, 91.7%; open, 58.3%; P = .045) and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System for Physical Function (endoscopic, 80.0%; open, 50.0%; P = .033) PASS achievement rates compared with those treated with the open technique. Complication rates were highest in patients with grade 3 tears (45.2%, P = .043).

CONCLUSION

Surgical repair of proximal hamstring tendon tears with varying extents of tendon retraction resulted in high rates of achieving PASS at the 2-year follow-up. Among complete tears with <2 cm of retraction, endoscopic repairs exhibited equal or higher rates of achieving PASS compared with open repairs across multiple PROs at 2 years postoperatively. However, patients with complete tears and retraction >2 cm achieved lower rates of PASS on the HOS-ADL and HOS-SS scales and had a higher rate of complications.

Systematic Review of Bracing After Proximal Hamstring Repair

Background

Traditionally, postoperative rehabilitation protocols after proximal hamstring repair (PHR) for avulsion of the proximal hamstring tendon from its ischial insertion recommend bracing the hip and/or knee to protect the fixation. However, because of the cumbersome nature of these orthoses, recent studies have investigated outcomes in patients with postoperative protocols that do not include any form of postoperative bracing.

Purpose

To synthesize the current body of evidence concerning bracing versus nonbracing postoperative management of PHR.

Study Design

Systematic review; level of evidence, 4.

Methods

Using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, we conducted a thorough search of the PubMed/Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Embase (OVID) databases on March 24, 2023. We analyzed complication rates, reoperation rates, patient satisfaction, return to sport, and patient-reported outcomes of studies that used postoperative bracing versus studies that used no postoperative bracing after PHR with at least 12 months of follow-up. A total of 308 articles were identified after initial search.

Results

In total, 25 studies were included in this review: 18 studies (905 patients) on bracing and 7 studies (291 patients) on nonbracing after PHR. The overall complication rate in the braced patients was found to be 10.9%, compared with 12.7% in nonbraced patients. The rate of reoperation due to retear of the proximal hamstring was found to be 0.05% in braced patients and 3.1% in nonbraced patients. Patient-reported outcome measures were found to be higher at the final follow-up in braced versus nonbraced patients, and patient satisfaction was found to be 94.7% in braced studies compared with 88.9% in nonbraced studies. The rate of 12-month return to sport in athletic patients was 88.4% with bracing and 82.7% without bracing.

Conclusion

The findings of this review demonstrated lower complication and reoperation rates, higher patient-reported outcome scores, higher patient satisfaction, and a higher rate of return to sport in braced patients compared with nonbraced patients.

Clinical Outcomes After Open and Endoscopic Repair of Proximal Hamstring Tendon Tears at a Minimum Follow-up of 5 Years

Background

Current evidence supports favorable short-term clinical outcomes with few complications after surgical management of proximal hamstring injuries; however, the durability of clinical benefits beyond approximately 2 years after surgery is unknown.

Purpose

To evaluate patient-reported clinical outcomes and complication rates associated with open and endoscopic repair of proximal hamstring tears at minimum 5-year follow-up.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

A single-surgeon registry of patients was queried between October 1, 2014, and December 31, 2017, to identify patients who underwent open or endoscopic repair of a proximal hamstring tear. Patients who reported minimum 5-year follow-up data were included. Multiple patient-reported outcome measures, including the Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL) and Sports-Specific (HOS-SS) subscales, 12-Item International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12), and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF) and Pain domains, along with surgical complications, were analyzed.

Results

Among 35 eligible patients (65.7% female; mean age, 52.3 ± 8.4 years), 24 had full-thickness tears and 11 had partial-thickness tears. There were 23 open repairs and 12 endoscopic repairs. Mean duration from symptom onset to surgical intervention was 37.9 weeks (range, 1.3-306.9 weeks). At a mean follow-up of 69.0 months (range, 60.0-95.0 months), mean postoperative outcome scores were as follows: HOS-ADL, 86.8 ± 12.7; HOS-SS, 83.1 ± 19.5; iHOT-12, 86.3 ± 14.9; PROMIS-PF, 50.0 ± 11.8; and PROMIS-Pain, 50.2 ± 7.9. Regarding complications, 28.6% of patients had a complication including persistent peri-incisional numbness (11.4%), wound infection (11.4%), postoperative neuropathy (8.6%), and revision surgery (2.9%).

Conclusion

Both open and endoscopic surgical techniques for repair of proximal hamstring injuries produced favorable patient-reported clinical outcomes at a minimum 5-year follow-up.

Systematic Review of Complications Associated With Proximal Hamstring Tendon Repair

Background

Although several complications of proximal hamstring tendon ruptures have been reported in the literature, few studies have comprehensively analyzed the complication profile of proximal hamstring tendon repair.

Purpose

To identify the overall rate of complications following proximal hamstring tendon repair and to differentiate these complications into categories.

Study Design

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

Included in this review were studies that examined surgical repair of proximal hamstring tendon ruptures; all studies were in English and had an evidence level of 4 or higher. No restrictions were made regarding publication date or methodological quality. Data regarding complications were extracted to calculate the overall complication rate as well as the rate of major and minor complications. A quantitative data synthesis was conducted using the chi-square test to compare the proportion of patients who experienced complications with the endoscopic versus open approach.

Results

A total of 43 articles including 2833 proximal hamstring tendon repairs were identified. The overall postoperative complication rate was 15.3% (n = 433). The rate of major complications was 4.6%, including a 1.7% rate of sciatic nerve injury, 0.8% rate of venous thromboembolism, 0.8% reoperation rate, 0.8% rerupture rate, and 0.4% rate of deep infection. Minor complications included a 2.4% rate of posterior femoral cutaneous nerve injury, 2.3% rate of persistent hamstring myopathy, 2.2% rate of persistent sitting pain, 1.8% rate of peri-incisional numbness, 1.1% rate of superficial infection, and 0.8% rate of hematoma/seroma.

Conclusion

Proximal hamstring tendon repair is associated with an overall complication rate of 15.3%, including a 4.6% rate of major complications.

Towards development of a core outcome set in proximal hamstring tendinopathy - A systematic review of measurement instruments and their clinimetric properties

OBJECTIVE

To find measurement instruments for proximal hamstring tendinopathy, map them to outcome domains, and evaluate their measurement properties.

METHODS

There were three phases. Phase one involved a search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, SPORTSDISCUS and PUBMED (February 2022) to identify measurement instruments used in proximal hamstring tendinopathy research. In phase two we mapped these measurement instruments to the International Tendinopathy Scientific Consensus (ICON) core outcome domains. The third phase involved conducting a second search (same databases/census date) to identify studies that evaluated measurement properties of measurement instruments in participants with proximal hamstring tendinopathy. Measurement properties were then evaluated following the Consensus-based-Standards for the Selection of Health Instruments methodology -including risk of bias assessment and synthesis of findings.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight different measurement instruments were identified in phase one. These were mapped to six of nine ICON domains in phase two. In phase three, there was only one instrument that had been evaluated for its measurement properties (4 studies, n = 302) - the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment - Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy (VISA-H). For the VISA-H there was moderate-quality evidence of sufficient construct validity, low-quality evidence of sufficient responsiveness, reliability and measurement error, very low-quality evidence of sufficient relevance and comprehensibility and very low-quality evidence of insufficient comprehensiveness.

CONCLUSION

The VISA-H - mapped to the ICON disability domain - is the only one of the 28 different measurement instruments identified that was validated in this population. Caution in applying it is warranted given it is supported by lower quality evidence.

Surgical treatment of snapping proximal hamstring tendon syndrome: the resolution of snapping and excellent patient satisfaction

Snapping proximal hamstring is an uncommon phenomenon, with few case reports documenting surgical treatment. The purpose of this study is to report snapping resolution, minimum 2-year post-operative patient-reported outcome (PRO), satisfaction scores and complications from patients who underwent surgical release of the conjoint tendon from the sacrotuberous ligament with reattachment to the ischial tuberosity. Prospectively collected data from two institutional databases were retrospectively reviewed for patients who underwent hamstring repair for partial- or full-thickness tears. Patients were included if they demonstrated 'snapping proximal hamstrings' on preoperative physical examination, including ultrasound confirmation, and repair subsequently performed. Patients were excluded if they had reconstruction of the proximal hamstring tendon or claimed worker's compensation. With a total of 20 patients (15 females and 5 males), successful resolution of snapping was reported in 100% of the cohort. For patients with pre- and post-surgical lower-extremity functional scores (LEFS), post-surgical LEFS were significantly higher than pre-surgical LEFS (pre-surgical: 17.0 ± 4.0, post-surgical: 73.6 ± 3.3, P < 0.001). Average post-operative PROs were as follows: International Hip Outcome Tool-12, 92.3 ± 8.3; modified Harris Hip Score, 93.2 ± 7.8; Non-arthritic Hip Score, 92.5 ± 6.8; Hip Outcome Score-Sports Specific Subscale, 94.4 ± 6.7; LEFS, 73.9 ± 3.4; and median visual analog scale of 0 with an interquartile range of 0-1. Patient satisfaction was 'very satisfied' in 19 (95%) patients and 'satisfied' in 1 (5%) patient. At a minimum 2-year follow-up, patients who underwent surgical treatment for chronic snapping of the proximal hamstrings demonstrated complete resolution of painful posterior snapping, reported high PROs and satisfaction, and had no reported post-operative complications.

Endoscopic Partial Proximal Hamstring Repair

The contemporary treatment of hamstring avulsions has been evolving, as more patients are being identified as having persistently symptomatic partial hamstring tears recalcitrant to nonoperative treatment. The endoscopic hamstring repair allows surgeons improved visualization of the footprint, as well as safe dissection of the sciatic nerve. The present technique article provides a step-by-step technical note to allow for safe and effective surgical treatment of partial hamstring tears.

Proximal Hamstring Ruptures: Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Return to Play

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To assess the current literature surrounding the treatment and rehabilitation strategies surrounding proximal hamstring rupture injuries, along with comparative return to sport and patient-reported outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

A high degree of variability exists in protective and rehabilitation strategies after both operative and non-operative proximal hamstring rupture management. Acceptable outcomes after both operative and non-operative management have been observed but may vary greatly with injury chronicity, severity, and surgical technique. The high complication rates observed after surgical treatment, along with poor functional outcomes that may occur in the setting of non-operative treatment or delayed surgery, highlight the importance of early injury evaluation and careful patient selection. Further high-quality research elucidating clearer indications for early operative management and an optimized and standardized rehabilitation protocols may improve outcomes and return to sport experience and metrics for individuals sustaining proximal hamstring ruptures.

Hamstring Injuries: Critical Analysis Review of Current Nonoperative Treatments

➢

Hamstring injuries are common among active and athletic individuals, especially those involved in high-speed running, distance running, or sports requiring sudden directional changes. Acute hamstring strains often occur as an eccentric strain during running or a stretch-type injury caused by simultaneous hip flexion and knee extension. Proximal hamstring tendinopathy is an overuse injury of the hamstring tendon as a result of chronic cicatrization of the musculotendinous unit.

➢

Repeated stress to the hamstring tendon leads to increased cellularity of tendon fibers, disruption of collagen, and subsequent microinjury of the tissue that attaches the tendon to bone.

➢

Management of hamstring injuries generally begins with nonoperative modalities consisting of eccentric rehabilitative exercise programs. Although various other treatment modalities are available, the comparative efficacy of these supportive measures is not well differentiated at this time.

➢

In this article, we review the current literature with regard to the nonoperative treatment of hamstring injuries, specifically focusing on acute hamstring muscle strains and proximal hamstring tendinopathy in order to provide supplementary insight on the effectiveness of current modalities.

Comparative Analysis of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Proximal Hamstring Injuries: A Systematic Review

Background

There is controversy regarding which patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) should be used for proximal hamstring tendon injuries.

Hypothesis

It was hypothesized that (1) most (>50%) of the questions on the 13 most common PROMs for proximal hamstring injuries would demonstrate extensive overlap in the health domains and question categories and (2) each of the PROMs would contain a variable distribution of questions within each health domain.

Study Design

Systematic review.

Methods

We conducted a literature review through PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL and identified the 13 most common PROMs for proximal hamstring injuries: Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Marx activity rating scale (MARS), 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12), Tegner activity scale (TAS), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), Perth Hamstring Assessment Tool (PHAT), Proximal Hamstring Injury Questionnaire (PHIQ), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), University of California, Los Angeles activity score (UCLA), International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12), Hip Outcome Score (HOS), Sydney Hamstring Origin Rupture Evaluation (SHORE), and Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS). All PROM questions were sorted into 5 health domains (pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, sports, and mindset) and further divided into question categories if they referred to similar tasks or aspects of health. Questions in the same health domain and question category were considered overlapping, and those within a health domain that did not fit into a question category were considered unique. For each PROM, we analyzed the distribution of questions within particular health domains and question categories as well as the amount of overlapping and unique questions.

Results

Of the 165 questions evaluated, 116 (70.3%) were overlapping, and 49 (29.7%) were unique. The SF-12 contained the most unique questions (9/12 [75.0%]). The MARS, TAS, SANE, and UCLA had 0 unique questions. The PHIQ and iHOT-12 contained questions in all 5 health domains. The PHAT, SHORE, and NAHS contained questions in every health domain except mindset. The LEFS, MARS, SF-12, TAS, mHHS, SANE, UCLA, and HOS contained questions in ≤3 health domains.

Conclusion

The evaluated PROMs had a high degree of overlapping questions (≥50%) and demonstrated a statistically significant variance in the distribution of questions within each health domain.

Acute Surgical Repair of Simultaneous Bilateral Proximal Hamstring Tendon Avulsion: A Case Report

CASE

Proximal hamstring tendon avulsions are rare injuries that can be successfully treated with surgical intervention. However, there are limited reports on the surgical and postoperative management of patients with bilateral avulsions. We report a 54-year-old male gym teacher with acute bilateral proximal hamstring 3-tendon nonbony avulsions who underwent simultaneous surgical repairs and a unique postoperative rehabilitation course. At 1-year clinical follow-up, the patient demonstrated significant improvements in activity levels and functionality, with no complications.

CONCLUSION

Bilateral proximal hamstring 3-tendon nonbony avulsions can be successfully treated with a simultaneous surgical repair and a modified postoperative rehabilitation course.

Deep Gluteal Pain in Orthopaedics: A Challenging Diagnosis

Identifying the specific source of gluteal pain can elude the most seasoned orthopaedic diagnosticians. Patients will often present with a protracted course of symptoms, and failure to successfully identify and treat the underlying etiology leads to frustration for both patient and clinician. Pain deep in the buttocks can arise from compression, inflammation, or injury of one or more of the structures in this anatomically dense area. Although sacroiliitis, hip arthritis, and trochanteric bursitis may also masquerade as gluteal pain, sciatic nerve irritation in its various presentations causes a substantial percentage of cases. Deep gluteal syndrome, hamstring syndrome, and ischiofemoral impingement can have overlapping presentations but can be differentiated by clinical examination and judiciously placed diagnostic corticosteroid injections. Although nonsurgical management, including physical therapy, relative rest, and injections represent the mainstay of treatment, open and endoscopic surgical approaches have yielded encouraging success rates in refractory cases.

Editorial Commentary: Subgluteal Hip Arthroscopy for Sciatic Nerve Entrapment, Ischiofemoral Impingement, or Proximal Hamstring Tears: Beyond the Comfort Zone

Advancements in hip arthroscopy are astounding. Circumferential labral reconstruction, labral augmentation, and capsular reconstruction are valuable tools. Beyond the "comfort zone" of the hip intra-articular realm, new frontiers include the peritrochanteric space, and a similarity to the subacromial space of the shoulder makes the transition attainable. In contrast, the subgluteal space is seen as outside the box. Sciatic nerve entrapment (SNE), ischiofemoral impingement (IFI), and tears of the proximal origin of the hamstring are among the subgluteal space pathologies. Clinical assessment of deep gluteal syndrome, defined as nondiscogenic sciatic nerve entrapment, can be particularly difficult but is critical and one of the skills that we as hip sports surgeons need to master. The respective treatments for SNE, IFI, and hamstring tears are nerve decompression, lesser trochanteric resection, and hamstring repair. Complications can occur, most commonly temporary injury of the sciatic nerve and permanent injury of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve. While all located in the deep gluteal space, SNE, IFI, and proximal hamstring tears are unique entities. When thinking outside the box, it's important to consider the complicated contents of Pandora's box.