Determining Clinically Meaningful Thresholds for the Hip Outcome Score Sport-Specific Subscale in Athletes Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID), Substantial Clinical Benefit (SCB), and Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) Values Following Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Are Highly Dependent on Their Study Population and Calculation Methods: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

To provide a summary of available literature on the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID), Substantial Clinical Benefit (SCB), and Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI).

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted via the Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Ovid MEDLINE, and Embase to identify studies that calculated MCID, SCB, or PASS for Patient Reported Outcome Measures PROMs after hip arthroscopy for FAI. The electronic search strategy used was as follows: hip AND arthroscopy AND (MCID OR "minimal clinically important difference" OR SCB OR "substantial clinical benefit" OR PASS OR "patient acceptable symptom state"). Inclusion criteria were English language studies published from 1980 to 2023 reporting clinical outcome scores and calculated values of MCID, PASS, or SCB for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI.

RESULTS

Forty-two studies (5 level II, 19 level III, and 18 level IV) met inclusion and exclusion criteria. The most commonly used outcome measures across MCID, SCB, and PASS were the Hip Outcome Score sports-specific subscale (HOS-SSS) and the activities of daily living subscale (HOS-ADL), the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), and the twelve-item international Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12). The range of MCID values for HOS-SSS, HOS-ADL, mHHS, and iHOT-12 were 7.2-15.7, 7.3-15.4, 7.2-16.8, and 8.8-16.2 respectively. Similarly, for SCB the values ranged from 77.9-96.9, 90.4-98.5, 20.0-98.4, and 66.7-87.5, respectively. Lastly, the PASS values ranged from 63.9-80.9, 85.9-99.2, 74.0-97.0, and 59.5-86.0, respectively.

CONCLUSION

MCID, SCB, and PASS values for PROMs following hip arthroscopy for the management of FAI are highly dependent on their associated study including study population and calculation methods.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV, systematic review of Level II-IV studies.

Hip Arthroscopy Versus Physical Therapy for the Treatment of Symptomatic Acetabular Labral Tears in Patients Older Than 40 Years: 24-Month Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The indications for hip arthroscopy in patients aged ≥40 years remain controversial, as observational studies have suggested that advanced age portends poor functional outcomes, poor durability of improvement, and high rates of conversion to total hip arthroplasty.

PURPOSE

To compare hip arthroscopy versus nonoperative management for symptomatic labral tears in patients aged ≥40 years with limited radiographic osteoarthritis.

STUDY DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

METHODS

This single-surgeon, parallel randomized controlled trial included patients aged ≥40 years with limited osteoarthritis (Tönnis grades 0-2) who were randomized 1:1 to arthroscopic surgery with postoperative physical therapy (SPT) or physical therapy alone (PTA). Patients who received PTA and achieved unsatisfactory improvement were permitted to cross over to SPT after completing ≥14 weeks of physical therapy (CO). The primary outcomes were the International Hip Outcome Tool-33 score and modified Harris Hip Score at 24 months after surgery, and secondary outcomes included other patient-reported outcome measures and the visual analog scale for pain. The primary analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis using linear mixed-effects models. Sensitivity analyses included modified as-treated and treatment-failure analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 97 patients were included, with 52 (53.6%) patients in the SPT group and 45 (46.4%) patients in the PTA group. Of the patients who underwent PTA, 32 (71.1%) patients crossed over to arthroscopy at a mean of 5.10 months (SD, 3.3 months) after physical therapy initiation. In both intention-to-treat and modified as-treated analyses, the SPT group displayed superior mean patient-reported outcome measure and pain scores across the study period for nearly all metrics relative to the PTA group. In the treatment-failure analysis, the SPT and CO groups showed greater improvement across all metrics compared with PTA; however, post hoc analyses revealed no significant differences in improvement between the SPT and CO groups. No significant differences were observed between groups in rates of total hip arthroplasty conversion.

CONCLUSION

In patients ≥40 years of age with limited osteoarthritis, hip arthroscopy with postoperative physical therapy led to better outcomes than PTA at a 24-month follow-up. However, additional preoperative physical therapy did not compromise surgical outcomes and allowed some patients to avoid surgery. When surgery is indicated, age ≥40 years should not be considered an independent contraindication to arthroscopic acetabular labral repair.

REGISTRATION

NCT03909178 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).

Hip arthroscopy is an effective treatment for high-level female athletes

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the outcomes of hip arthroscopic surgery in high-level female athletes diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) compared to those with lower levels of sports activity. Additionally, we investigated the effectiveness of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and the potential ceiling effect as a lack of sensitivity in detecting clinically statistically significant changes in high-level female athletes due to high baseline scores.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from female patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for FAI between January 2016 and August 2022 with a minimum 1-year follow-up. Patients were categorised into two groups: high-level athletes (group A) and low sports activity level (group B). Various PROs, visual analogue scales for pain, and patient satisfaction were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively. Return to sports (RTS) rates were determined based on the patient's reported ability to return to their previous level of sports activity. The minimally clinically important differences (MCIDs) and the Patient-Acceptable Symptomatic State (PASS) analyses were used to evaluate the clinical impact of the Hip Outcome Score-Sport Subscale (HOS-SSS).

RESULTS

A total of 11 high-level female athletes were included in group A, and 22 were included in the low sports activity level group B. Both groups showed significant improvements in PROs, with no significant differences between them. RTS rates were lower in high-level athletes (63.6%) than in low sports activity patients (85.7%). Visual analogue scales for pain improved significantly in both groups. Patient satisfaction was high in both groups, with a median score of 9. The HOS-SSS showed no ceiling effect, and the MCID and PASS analyses indicated that a high proportion of patients in both groups achieved clinically relevant improvement in HOS-SSS.

CONCLUSION

Hip arthroscopic surgery is effective for FAI treatment in high-level female athletes, with outcomes similar to those in patients with lower sports activity levels. The absence of a ceiling effect in sports-related outcomes suggests that PROs can detect clinically significant changes in high-level female athletes. Although RTS rates were lower in high-level athletes, this difference was not significant. These findings underscore the value of using PROs to evaluate outcomes in female athletes with different sports-activity levels.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

The Effect of Pelvic Incidence on Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement and Acetabular Labral Tears

BACKGROUND

In the setting of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), decompression osteoplasties reconcile deleterious loading patterns caused by cam and pincer lesions. However, native variations of spinopelvic sagittal alignment may continue to perpetuate detrimental effects on the labrum, chondrolabral junction, and articular cartilage after hip arthroscopy.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of pelvic incidence (PI) on postoperative outcomes after hip arthroscopy for acetabular labral tears in the setting of FAI.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

A retrospective query of prospectively collected data identified patients ≥18 years of age who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAI and acetabular labral tears between February 2014 and January 2022, with 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-ups. Measurements for PI, pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), and acetabular version were obtained via advanced diagnostic imaging. Patients were stratified into low-PI (<45°), moderate-PI (45°≤ PI ≤ 60°), and high-PI (>60°) cohorts. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), clinically meaningful outcomes (ie, minimal clinically important difference, Patient Acceptable Symptom State, substantial clinical benefit, and maximal outcome improvement), visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, and patient satisfaction were compared across cohorts.

RESULTS

A total of 74 patients met eligibility criteria and were stratified into low-PI (n = 28), moderate-PI (n = 31), and high-PI (n = 15) cohorts. Correspondingly, patients with high PI displayed significantly greater values for PT (P = .001), SS (P < .001), acetabular version (P < .001), and acetabular inclination (P = .049). By the 12- and 24-month follow-ups, the high-PI cohort was found to have significantly inferior PROMs, VAS pain scores, rates of clinically meaningful outcome achievement, and satisfaction relative to patients with moderate and/or low PI. No significant differences were found between cohorts regarding rates of revision arthroscopy, subsequent spine surgery, or conversion to total hip arthroplasty.

CONCLUSION

After hip arthroscopy, patients with a high PI (>60°) exhibited inferior PROMs, rates of achieving clinically meaningful thresholds, and satisfaction at 12 and 24 months relative to patients with low or moderate PI. Conversely, the outcomes of patients with low PI (<45°) were found to match the trajectory of those with a neutral spinopelvic alignment (45°≤ PI ≤ 60°). These findings highlight the importance of analyzing spinopelvic parameters preoperatively to prognosticate outcomes before hip arthroscopy for acetabular labral tears and FAI.

Defining Thresholds and Predictors for Achieving the Patient Acceptable Symptom State for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures After Revision Hip Arthroscopy

BACKGROUND

The Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) after primary hip arthroscopy has been determined; nonetheless, the PASS still needs to be defined for revision hip arthroscopy.

PURPOSE

To define minimum 2-year follow-up PASS thresholds for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), Hip Outcome Score-Sports Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, and International Hip Outcome Tool-12 (iHOT-12) after revision hip arthroscopy, and to identify predictors of achieving the PASS.

STUDY DESIGN

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed for all patients who underwent revision hip arthroscopy between April 2017 and July 2020. Patients were included if they had baseline and minimum 2-year follow-up scores for the mHHS, NAHS, HOS-SSS, VAS for pain, and iHOT-12. PASS was calculated using the anchor-based method. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the thresholds for the PASS. A multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors for achieving the PASS.

RESULTS

A total of 318 patients who underwent revision hip arthroscopy met the inclusion criteria. Of those patients, 292 (91.8%) had baseline and minimum 2-year follow-up. Of this group, 68 patients (72.1% female and 27.9% male; mean age, 32.9 years) answered the PASS anchor question. Achievement PASS rates were 58.8%, 41.2%, 52.9%, 60.3%, and 52.9% for the mHHS, NAHS, HOS-SSS, VAS, and iHOT-12, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) values for the PASS for mHHS, NAHS, HOS-SSS, VAS, and iHOT-12 were 0.912, 0.888, 0.857, 0.903, and 0.871, respectively, indicating excellent discrimination. The PASS for the mHHS was 76 (sensitivity, 0.809; specificity, 0.905), for the NAHS was 86.3 (sensitivity, 0.660; specificity, 1), for the HOS-SSS was 64.3 (sensitivity, 0.745; specificity, 0.905), for the VAS was 3 (sensitivity, 0.830; specificity, 0.905), and for the iHOT-12 was 64.3 (sensitivity, 0.745; specificity, 0.905). Body mass index (BMI) was identified as a significant predictor of achieving PASS for the NAHS (OR, 0.967; 95% CI, 0.940-0.996; P = .027), as patients with a BMI ≤25.4 had 1.03 times higher odds ratio of achieving PASS for the NAHS.

CONCLUSION

After revision hip arthroscopy, the minimum 2-year follow-up PASS thresholds for the mHHS, NAHS, HOS-SSS, VAS for pain, and iHOT-12 were 76, 86.3, 64.3, 3, and 64.3, respectively. The odds ratio of achieving PASS for the NAHS was 1.03 times higher for patients with a BMI ≤25.4.