The Warwick Agreement on femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI syndrome): an international consensus statement

The Natural Course of Recovery After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement According to the International Hip Outcome Tool-12 and Hip Outcome Score Sports Subscale

BACKGROUND

A paucity of literature exists regarding trajectories of functional and sports-specific recovery after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

PURPOSE

To determine if subgroups of patients exist based on the recovery trajectory of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after hip arthroscopy for FAIS in the short-term period and to determine clinical predictors for these subgroups of patients.

STUDY DESIGN

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

A prospectively maintained repository was queried for patients who had undergone primary hip arthroscopy for the treatment of FAIS between January 2012 and May 2018. Patients who completed the preoperative, 1-year, and 2-year International Hip Outcome Tool-12 (iHOT-12) or the Hip Outcome Score Sports Subscale (HOS-SS) were included. The latent class growth analysis (LCGA) and growth mixture models (GMMs) were used to identify subgroups of patients based on trajectories of recovery for the iHOT-12 and the HOS-SS utilizing preoperative, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups. LCGA and GMM models using 1 to 6 classes for each PRO were performed, and the best-fit model for each PRO was selected. After final model selection, a multivariable multinomial logistic regression was performed, with the largest class being the reference group to determine clinical predictors of subgroup membership.

RESULTS

A total of 443 and 556 patients were included in the iHOT-12 and HOS-SS analyses, respectively. For the iHOT-12, we identified the following 3 subgroups: early progressors (70%), late regressors (22.3%), and late progressors (7.7%). Predictors of late regression were workers' compensation status, psychiatric history, preoperative chronic pain, and lower preoperative iHOT-12 scores; and late progressors were less likely to participate in sports. For the HOS-SS, we identified the following 4 subgroups: early progressors (47.7%), late regressors (17.4%), late progressors (6.8%), and steady progressors (28.1%). Predictors of less favorable recovery trajectories (late regressors and late progessors) were older age, male sex, back pain, psychiatric history, preoperative chronic pain, greater alpha angle, and lower preoperative HOS-SS scores.

CONCLUSION

Using the growth mixture modeling, 3 natural courses of health-related quality of life (early progression, late regression, and late progression) and 4 natural courses of recovery of athletic function (steady progression, late regression, late progression, and early progression) were identified. Preoperative psychiatric conditions, chronic pain, workers' compensation status, and lower iHOT-12 scores were predictive of less than favorable trajectories of recovery according to the iHOT-12, and male sex, older age, back pain, preoperative narcotic use, and lower preoperative HOS-SS were predictors of less favorable recovery trajectories according to the HOS-SS.

Rapid decline of yearly number of hip arthroscopies in Sweden: a retrospective time series of 6,105 hip arthroscopies based on a national patient data register

Background and purpose - Hip arthroscopies (HAs) have increased exponentially worldwide and are expected to continue rising. We describe time trends in HA procedures in Sweden (10 million inhabitants) between 2006 and 2018 with a focus on procedure rates, surgical procedures, and patient demographics such as age and sex distribution.Patients and methods - We retrospectively collected data from the Swedish National Patient Register (NPR) for all surgeries including surgical treatment codes considered relevant for HA from 2006 to 2018. Surgical codes were validated through a multiple-step procedure and classified into femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) related or non-FAIS related procedure. Frequencies, sex differences, and time trends of surgical procedures and patient demographics are presented.Results - After validation of HA codes, 6,105 individual procedures, performed in 4,924 patients (mean age 34 years [SD 12]) were confirmed HAs and included in the analysis. Yearly HA procedure rates increased from 15 in 2006 to 884 in 2014, after which a steady decline was observed with 469 procedures in 2018. The majority (65%) of HAs was performed in males. Male patients were younger, and surgeries on males more frequently included an FAIS-related procedure.Interpretation - Similar to previous studies in other parts of the world, we found dramatic increases in HA procedures in Sweden between 2006 and 2014. Contrary to existing predictions, HA rates declined steadily after 2014, which may be explained by more restrictive patient selection based on refined surgical indications, increasing evidence, and clinical experience with the procedure.

3D MRI of the Hip Joint: Technical Considerations, Advantages, Applications, and Current Perspectives

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a common choice among various imaging modalities for the evaluation of hip conditions. Conventional MRI with two-dimensional acquisitions requires a significant amount of time and is limited by partial-volume artifacts and suboptimal fluid-to-cartilage contrast. Recent hardware and software advances have resulted in development of novel isotropic three-dimensional (3D) single-acquisition protocols that cover the volume of the entire hip and can be reconstructed in arbitrary planes for submillimeter assessment of bony and labro-cartilaginous structures in their planes of orientation. This technique facilitates superior identification of small labral tears and other hip lesions with better correlations with arthroscopy. In this review, we discuss technical details related to 3D MRI of the hip, its advantages, and its role in commonly encountered painful conditions that can be evaluated with great precision using this technology. The entities described are femoroacetabular impingement with acetabular labral tears, acetabular dysplasia, avascular necrosis, regional tendinopathies and tendon tears, bursitis, and other conditions.

3D MRI Models of the Musculoskeletal System

Computed tomography (CT) is most commonly used to produce three-dimensional (3D) models for evaluating bone and joint morphology in clinical practice. However, 3D models created from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data can be equally effective for comprehensive and accurate assessment of osseous and soft tissue structure morphology and pathology. The quality of 3D MRI models has steadily increased over time, with growing potential to replace 3D CT models in various musculoskeletal (MSK) applications. In practice, a single MRI examination for two-dimensional and 3D assessments can increase the value of MRI and simplify the pre- and postoperative imaging work-up. Multiple studies have shown excellent performance of 3D MRI models in shoulder injuries, in the hip in the setting of femoroacetabular impingement, and in the knee for the creation of bone surface models. Therefore, the utility of 3D MRI postprocessed models is expected to continue to rise and broaden in applications. Computer-based and artificial intelligence-assisted postprocessing techniques have tremendous potential to improve the efficiency of 3D model creation, opening many research avenues to validate the applicability of 3D MRI and establish 3D-specific quantitative assessment criteria. We provide a practice-focused overview of 3D MRI acquisition strategies, postprocessing techniques for 3D model creation, MSK applications of 3D MRI models, and an illustration of cases from our daily clinical practice.

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral injuries: grading the evidence on diagnosis and non-operative treatment-a statement paper commissioned by the Danish Society of Sports Physical Therapy (DSSF)

This statement summarises and appraises the evidence on diagnostic tests and clinical information, and non-operative treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome and labral injuries. We included studies based on the highest available level of evidence as judged by study design. We evaluated the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation framework. We found 29 studies reporting 23 clinical tests and 14 different forms of clinical information, respectively. Restricted internal hip rotation in 0° hip flexion with or without pain was best to rule in FAI syndrome (low diagnostic effectiveness; low quality of evidence; interpretation of evidence: may increase post-test probability slightly), whereas no pain in Flexion Adduction Internal Rotation test or no restricted range of motion in Flexion Abduction External Rotation test compared with the unaffected side were best to rule out (very low to high diagnostic effectiveness; very low to moderate quality of evidence; interpretation of evidence: very uncertain, but may reduce post-test probability slightly). No forms of clinical information were found useful for diagnosis. For treatment of FAI syndrome, 14 randomised controlled trials were found. Prescribed physiotherapy, consisting of hip strengthening, hip joint manual therapy techniques, functional activity-specific retraining and education showed a small to medium effect size compared with a combination of passive modalities, stretching and advice (very low to low quality of evidence; interpretation of evidence: very uncertain, but may slightly improve outcomes). Prescribed physiotherapy was, however, inferior to hip arthroscopy (small effect size; moderate quality of evidence; interpretation of evidence: hip arthroscopy probably increases outcome slightly). For both domains, the overall quality of evidence ranged from very low to moderate indicating that future research on diagnosis and treatment may alter the conclusions from this review.

A longitudinal cohort study of adolescent elite footballers and controls investigating the development of cam morphology

Cam morphology describes an asphericity of the femoral head that develops during adolescence, is highly prevalent in athletes, and predisposes individuals to future osteoarthritis. However, it’s aetiology remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to perform 3-year longitudinal follow-up of a control population and football club academy cohort to compare the change in hip and growth plate anatomy between athletes and controls. MRI and questionnaires were used to characterise change in hip and growth plate anatomy and quantify activity levels. 121 male academy footballers and 107 male and female controls participated at baseline. Footballers experienced significantly greater increases in femoral head asphericity (4.83 degrees (95% CI: 2.84 to 6.82), p < 0.001) than controls. A positive correlation existed between activity levels and change in femoral head morphology (coefficient 0.79, p  ≤  0.001). Greatest morphological change occurred in individuals aged 11–12 years at baseline, with no significant change in individuals aged 14 years and older at baseline. Cam morphology development was secondary to soft tissue hypertrophy and lateral growth plate extension. In conclusion, excessive loading of the hip joint through exercise prior to 14 years of age may result in growth plate adaptations causing cam morphology. Potential interventions may include training type and load modification in young adolescent football players.

Outcomes following surgical management of femoroacetabular impingement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of different surgical techniques

Outcomes following different types of surgical intervention for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) are well reported individually but comparative data are deficient. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis to analyze the outcomes following surgical management of FAI by hip arthroscopy (HA), anterior mini open approach (AMO), and surgical hip dislocation (SHD). This SR was registered with PROSPERO. An electronic database search of PubMed, Medline, and EMBASE for English and German language articles over the last 20 years was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We specifically analyzed and compared changes in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), α-angle, rate of complications, rate of revision, and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA). A total of 48 articles were included for final analysis with a total of 4,384 hips in 4,094 patients. All subgroups showed a significant correction in mean α angle postoperatively with a mean change of 28.8° (95% confidence interval (CI) 21 to 36.5; p < 0.01) after AMO, 21.1° (95% CI 15.1 to 27; p < 0.01) after SHD, and 20.5° (95% CI 16.1 to 24.8; p < 0.01) after HA. The AMO group showed a significantly higher increase in PROMs (3.7; 95% CI 3.2 to 4.2; p < 0.01) versus arthroscopy (2.5; 95% CI 2.3 to 2.8; p < 0.01) and SHD (2.4; 95% CI 1.5 to 3.3; p < 0.01). However, the rate of complications following AMO was significantly higher than HA and SHD. All three surgical approaches offered significant improvements in PROMs and radiological correction of cam deformities. All three groups showed similar rates of revision procedures but SHD had the highest rate of conversion to a THA. Revision rates were similar for all three revision procedures.

Effect of Baseline Mental Health on 1-Year Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopy: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background:

Patient factors, including mental health, sex, and smoking, have been found to be more predictive of preoperative hip pain and function than intra-articular findings during hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI); however, little is known about how these factors may influence patients’ postoperative outcomes.

Hypothesis:

We hypothesized that lower patient-reported mental health scores would be significant risk factors for worse patient-reported outcomes (PROs) 1 year after arthroscopic hip surgery for FAI and that baseline intra-articular pathology would fail to demonstrate an association with outcomes 1 year after FAI surgery.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A prospective cohort of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI were electronically enrolled. Baseline and 1-year follow-up PROs were collected, including Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for pain (HOOS-Pain), HOOS–Physical Function Short Form (HOOS-PS), and Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey–Mental Component Score (VR-12 MCS). Intra-articular operative findings and treatment were documented at the time of surgery. Proportional odds logistic regression models were built for 1-year outcomes (HOOS-Pain, HOOS-PS, and VR-12 MCS). Risk factors included patient characteristics and intraoperative anatomic and pathologic findings.

Results:

Overall, 494 patients underwent hip arthroscopy for FAI, and 385 (78%) were evaluated at 1 year with at least 1 PRO. The median patient age was 33 years, mean body mass index was 25.5 kg/m², and 72% were female. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that better baseline HOOS-Pain, HOOS-PS, and VR-12 MCS were significantly associated with improvement in the 1-year scores for each PRO. Higher VR-12 MCS was significantly associated with better 1-year HOOS-Pain and HOOS-PS, while current and former smokers had worse 1-year outcomes than those who never smoked. In ranking each variable’s relative importance, baseline HOOS-Pain and HOOS-PS and baseline VR-12 MCS were identified as the strongest predictors of 1-year HOOS-Pain and HOOS-PS in our multivariable model.

Conclusion:

During hip arthroscopy for FAI, patient factors, including baseline hip pain and function, mental health, and smoking, were independently associated with 1-year PROs of hip pain and function, while intra-articular pathology such as the presence of labral tear and its treatment, tear size, tear location, and anchors placed were not independently associated.

Hip Joint Kinematic Covariation During Gait Before and 1-Year After Hip Arthroscopic Surgery for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

The primary aim of this study was to determine if the three-dimensional (3D) hip joint motion coordination during gait changes after arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). Three-dimensional hip joint kinematic data were collected with a 12-camera motion capture system. Five trials of level walking were collected preoperatively (PRE) and at 1-year postoperatively (POST) in 8 patients diagnosed with FAIS and at a single time point in 8 healthy controls. Planar covariation analysis was performed to quantify the 3D hip joint motion coordination strategy during gait. Independent sample's t-test were used to determine differences between the FAIS group at the preoperative time point (PRE) and healthy controls. Paired samples t-tests were used to determine differences between the PRE and POST time points within the FAIS group. The %VAF by PC 1 for the FAIS group at the PRE time point was significantly less than that of healthy controls (PRE: 77.2 ± 8.7% vs. Control: 96.1 ± 2.8%; p = 0.0001), and the % VAF of the second PC (PC2) was significantly greater [PRE: 22.8 (8.7)%; Control: 3.9 (2.8)%; p = 0.0001]. No differences in %VAF were found between the PRE and POST time points within the FAIS group for PC1 [PRE: 77.2 (8.7)% vs. POST: 79.3 (11.1)%; p = 0.472] or PC2 [PRE: 22.7 (8.7)%; POST: 20.7 (11.1)%; p = 0.472]. Significant differences in the plane specific contribution to the 3D motion coordination strategy were found between the FAIS patients at the PRE and POST time points for the sagittal plane [PRE: 5.6 (2.7) vs. POST: 0.91 (6.1); p = 0.012] and frontal plane [PRE: −10.4 (2.2) and −1.5 (6.3); p = 0.005]. Patients with FAIS demonstrated a more complex coordination strategy of 3D hip joint motion than controls and this strategy remains unchanged after hip arthroscopic surgery despite changes in the plane specific contribution to this strategy. These findings indicate that motor control impairments in FAIS patients do exist and seem to persist for at least 1 year after hip arthroscopic surgery.

Inter-observer concordance in normal and pathological findings of the hip joint in plain radiographs

Background and aim:

The purpose of the study was to compare the data obtained by two independent observers and statistically analyse the results using Cohen’s K to highlight the concordance or discordance in the diagnosis of normality, pathology and, in particular, the type of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) on plain films.

Methods:

the study was conducted retrospectively. The only inclusion criterium was the minimum age of 20 years. All patients underwent a radiographic examination of the pelvis in standard anteroposterior projection in orthostasis.

Results:

A hundred patients were evaluated. A good concordance between the two operators in the examination of normal hip joint (k= 0.68 right/ 0,74 left) was found; a similar grade of agreement was found for the analysis of “pincer” type FAI (k = 0.73 right, 0,67 left). The best results in concordance were achieved in the examination of “cam” type FAI (k= 0.82 right, 0,88 left), “mixed” type FAI (k = 0.85 right, 0,86 left), and in findings of “coxa profunda” (k = 0.92 right, 0,88 left).

Conclusion:

We found a good concordance between the two readers; a few cases of disagreement were found in the diagnosis of “pincer” type FAI and absence of disease. This discrepancy may be due to the different weight given by the single observer to the clinical indication that leads the patient to examination, but also by the difficulty of a not dedicated radiologist to show some subtle signs indicative of early FAI.

Impaired Lower Extremity Biomechanics, Hip External Rotation Muscle Weakness, and Proximal Femoral Morphology Predict Impaired Single-Leg Squat Performance in People With FAI Syndrome

BACKGROUND

Impairments in squat depth have been reported in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). However, little is known about single-leg squat (SLS) performance in these patients, despite this task being commonly used in the rehabilitation and training settings.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS

The aims of this study were (1) to investigate whether patients with FAIS demonstrate differences in SLS performance compared with healthy controls and (2) to determine whether dynamic range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, hip morphologic measures, hip pain, and hip-specific function predict SLS performance in patients with FAIS. We hypothesized that patients with FAIS would demonstrate impaired SLS performance and that impaired hip biomechanics, muscle strength, and hip-specific function would predict squat performance in patients with FAIS.

STUDY DESIGN

Controlled laboratory study.

METHODS

Three-dimensional (3D) kinematic data were collected at 100 Hz using a 20-camera 3D motion capture system during 3 SLS trials in 34 patients with FAIS and 26 healthy controls. Isometric muscle strength was tested with a stationary handheld dynamometer in all participants. Squat performance was quantified by squat depth (in meters), and the biomechanical variables of dynamic ROM of the pelvis, the hip, the knee, and the ankle in all planes were calculated. In patients with FAIS, femoral and acetabular morphology were measured using radiographic alpha angles and lateral center-edge angles. Hip pain and hip-specific function were measured using the visual analog scale for pain and the Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living subscale, respectively. Two-tailed independent-samples t tests were used to determine between-group differences for squat depth, dynamic ROM variables, and muscle strength. A hierarchical multiple linear regression (MLR) model was used to determine whether biomechanical variables, muscle strength, hip morphology measures, hip pain, and hip-specific function were predictors of squat depth. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Version 26.

RESULTS

There were no between-group differences in age (FAIS, 30.0 ± 7.0 years vs controls, 27.3 ± 7.0 years; P = .18) or body mass index (FAIS, 23.1 ± 2.8 vs controls, 22.6 ± 3.2; P = .51). Squat depth was less in patients with FAIS compared with healthy controls (FAIS, 0.24 ± 0.4 m vs controls, 0.29 ± 0.05 m; P < .001). In the sagittal plane, patients with FAIS demonstrated less dynamic ROM of the hip (FAIS, 67.8°± 12.4° vs controls, 79.2°± 12.5°; P = .001) and the knee (FAIS, 71.9°± 9.4° vs controls, 78.9°± 13.2°; P = .02) compared with controls. Patients with FAIS also demonstrated a less dynamic coronal plane pelvis ROM (FAIS, 11.3°± 5.0° vs controls, 14.4°± 6.7°; P = .044). Patients with FAIS had reduced hip muscle strength of the hip external rotator (FAIS, 1 ± 0.3 N/kg vs controls, 1.2 ± 0.3 N/kg; P = .034), hip internal rotator (FAIS, 0.8 ± 0.3 N/kg vs controls 1 ± 0.3 N/kg; P = .03), and hip flexor (FAIS, 4 ± 1.1 N/kg vs controls, 4.8 ± 1.2 N/kg; P = .013) muscle groups. The hierarchical MLR revealed that the dynamic ROM of the hip, the knee, and the pelvis, the hip external rotation muscle strength, and the femoral alpha angles were all significant predictors of squat performance, and the final MLR model explained 92.4% of the total variance in squat depth in patients with FAIS.

CONCLUSION

Patients with FAIS demonstrate impaired SLS squat performance compared with healthy controls. This impaired squat performance is predominantly predicted by sagittal plane knee and hip biomechanics and hip external rotator strength, and less by frontal plane pelvic ROM and hip morphology in patients with FAIS.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Clinicians should focus treatment on improving dynamic ROM and hip external rotator muscle strength to improve squat performance; however, femoral morphology should also be considered in the treatment paradigm.

Associations Between Movement Impairments and Function, Treatment Recommendations, and Treatment Plans for People With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe movement impairments for persons with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and their association with function, treatment recommendations, and treatment plans.

METHODS

This report is a secondary, observational analysis of a clinical trial dataset in which participants received an interdisciplinary evaluation from a surgeon and physical therapist. The therapist documented frontal and sagittal plane movement impairments across 6 functional tasks. Associations between number of impairments in each plane and function (33-item International Hip Outcome Tool [iHOT33]) were evaluated using Pearson or Spearman correlations. Joint provider recommendations (physical therapist and surgeon) and participant-reported treatment plans were dichotomized based on the inclusion of physical therapy or not. Logistic regressions were used to examine the effects of (1) iHOT33, total movement impairments, and previous physical therapist treatment on joint provider recommendation and (2) these same variables along with joint provider recommendation on participant treatment plan; prevalence ratios and 95% CIs were reported for significant contributors.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine participants demonstrated an average iHOT33 of 35.0 (SD = 19.5) and presented with a median 5 frontal and 3 sagittal plane impairments. More frontal plane impairments were associated with worse iHOT33 scores. Twenty-seven participants received a joint provider recommendation that included physical therapy; no significant contributors to these recommendations were identified. Twenty-four of the 27 participants with a physical therapist recommendation included physical therapy in their treatment plan. Two additional participants did not receive a physical therapist recommendation but included physical therapy in their plan. Joint provider recommendation was the only significant contributor to the participant-reported plan (prevalence ratio = 7.06; 95% CI = 3.25-7.97).

CONCLUSION

Persons with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome displayed clinically observable movement impairments that were associated with worse function. Joint provider recommendations strongly influenced participants' treatment plans to pursue physical therapy.

IMPACT

Physical therapists contribute new information to surgical examinations regarding movement. Joint recommendations from the physical therapist and the surgeon can influence patients' decisions to pursue physical therapy.

Hip Arthroscopy With and Without A Perineal Post: A Comparison of Early Postoperative Pain

PURPOSE

To compare postoperative pain and early recovery after hip arthroscopy with and without a perineal post for joint distraction.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of patients who underwent hip arthroscopy before and after the adoption of a postless technique. Patients who underwent concurrent periacetabular or femoral osteotomy were excluded. Demographic information, procedure variables, and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were recorded. Analgesic medications given were converted to morphine milligram equivalents (MME) for comparison. Uni- and multivariate analyses were conducted to compare total MME, postoperative pain, and time to discharge between groups.

RESULTS

One hundred patients were in each group. The overall age (mean ± standard deviation) was 26.5 ± 9.9 years (Post [P]: 57 females; No Post [NP]: 68 females). Total operative time (P 100.4 ± 17.9 minutes vs NP 89.1 ± 25.5 minutes, P = .0004), traction time (P 45.8 ± 10.3 minutes vs NP 40.9 ± 11.1 minutes, P = .0017), and operating room time (P 148.8 ± 19.3 minutes vs NP 137.3 ± 25.8 minutes, P = .0005) were found to be shorter in the NP group. Total MME, and final VAS pain scores in the PACU were similar between both groups (MME, P = .1620; VAS, P = .2139). Time to discharge was significantly shorter in the NP group (P 207.2 ± 58.8 vs NP 167.5 ± 47.9, P < .0001). Patient age (≥25 years) (65.2 ± 18.1 vs 59.8 ± 15.7 [MME], P = .0269) and elevated body mass index (≥25) (65.1 ± 17.1 vs 59.3 ± 16.4 [MME], P = .0164) were factors associated with greater total MME consumption. Female sex was associated with higher postoperative VAS pain scores (FM 4.1 ± 1.6 vs M 3.4 ± 1.8 P = .0027).

CONCLUSIONS

Adoption of the postless technique did not result in prolonged operating room or operative time. Overall, both groups had similar postoperative pain, however, the time from surgery to hospital discharge was shorter in the postless group.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III, retrospective comparison study.

‘Mini-Max’ knotless acetabular labrum repair: repair construct rationale and allocation in a consecutive case series with minimum 1-year clinical outcomes

To describe the ‘mini-Max’ approach to labrum repair using non-absorbable 2.4-mm knotless suture anchors and report objective clinical outcomes with a large single-surgeon cohort. Level 3 retrospective case series. A retrospective review was conducted to report the use and allocation of non-absorbable 2.4-mm knotless suture anchors during ‘mini-Max’ labral repair from 2015 to 2018. Descriptive analysis of the labral damage severity, size and number of anchors used to arthroscopically repair the acetabular labrum was performed. Paired-samples t-tests were performed to evaluate whether preoperative and 1-year follow-up patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were statistically significant. An analysis of variance was performed comparing PROs with categorized number of labral anchors. A total of 390 patients were queried in this study, with 330 (85%) diagnosed intraoperatively with acetabular labral tears. A total of 245 patients (137 females and 108 males) with a mean age of 30.1 ± 11.6 years (mean ± SD) at the time of surgery underwent ‘mini-Max’ labral refixation. Of the 245 labral tears, 88 (35.9%) were graded as mild, 113 (46.1%) as moderate and 44 (18.0%) as severe. Labral repairs required an average of 2.1 ± 0.67 anchors across all patients included. Forty-one repairs (16.7%) required one anchor, 139 (56.7%) required two anchors, 63 (25.7%) required three anchors and 2 (0.8%) required four anchors. Significant improvements were reported for all PROs (P ≤ .001) at a minimum of 1-year follow-up. Arthroscopic ‘mini-Max’ labral repair using non-absorbable knotless suture anchors is a safe and effective technique for improving the lives of patients suffering from symptomatic acetabular labrum tears.

Radiographic Cam Morphology of the Hip May Be Associated with ACL Injury of the Knee: A Case-Control Study

Purpose

To evaluate femoral and acetabular morphology in patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

Methods

A retrospective review of a prospectively collected ACL registry was performed to identify patients with pelvis radiographs before undergoing either primary or revision ACLR between January 2010 and August 2020. Alpha angle (AA), head-neck offset ratio (HNOR), lateral center edge angle (LCEA), and crossover sign (COS) were measured on the operative side. Values were compared to a negative control group that did not significantly differ in age, sex, or body mass index. Univariate analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to compare groups with significance defined as P < .05.

Results

In total, 114 patients were included (ACL, n = 38; control, n = 76). Eleven primary and 27 revision ACL reconstructions were identified. The mean AA in patients undergoing primary ACL reconstruction was higher than control (67.45° ± 11.30° vs 51.5° ± 10.8°, P < .001). A significantly elevated AA was also found in those undergoing revision ACL surgery (61.8° ± 7.51° vs 51.5° ± 10.8°, P < .001). In addition, the HNOR was significantly lower in the ACL group (0.12 ± 0.03 vs 0.14 ± 0.04, P = .0304). Acetabular morphology was similar between groups (LCEA, ACL 31.97° ± 5.04° vs control 30.01° ± 5.17°, P = .0549; COS, ACL 9 of 38 (23.7%) vs control 18 of 76 (23.7%), P = 1.00).

Conclusion

An association exists between radiographic cam morphology of the hip and patients who previously underwent ACLR.

Level of Evidence

III, retrospective comparison study.

Pain Catastrophizing and Kinesiophobia Affect Return to Sport in Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for the Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement

Purpose

To assess whether pain catastrophizing and kinesiophobia affect return to sport (RTS) or clinically significant outcome (CSO) achievement in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI).

Methods

Patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy at a single institution between January 2017 and March 2017 were prospectively enrolled. Patients received the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11 (TSK-11) and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) questionnaires preoperatively, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Patients also received the Hip Outcome Score Sport-Specific (HOS-SS) questionnaire preoperatively and 1 year and 2 years' postoperatively. An RTS questionnaire was completed at final follow-up. Bivariate correlations were conducted between PCS and TSK-11 scores and RTS status and achievement of CSOs of HOS-SS, based on patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) and substantial clinical benefit (SCB).

Results

Fifty-eight patients with an average age of 31.9 ± 12.2 and body mass index of 24.0 ± 3.8 participated in sport prior to surgery and were included in the study. Forty-two (72.4%) patients returned to sport at 10.5 ± 7.1 months following surgery. There was a significant reduction in TSK-11 and PCS scores at 1-year follow-up (TSK-11, 26.1 ± 6.0 vs 18.6 ± 6.1, P < .001; PCS, 17.7 ± 10.5 vs 4.3 ± 6.8, P < .001) as well as a significant improvement in HOS-SS (P < .001). At 1 year, fair correlations were demonstrated between PCS (r = -0.446, P = .010) and TSK (r = -0.330, P = .029) scores and RTS. Patient who returned to sport had lower PCS (8.5 ± 11.7 vs 3.0 ± 3.7, P = .010) and TSK-11 (21.8 ± 8.5 vs 17.6 ± 4.8, P = .029) scores at 1 year. At 1-year follow-up, PCS (r = -0.572, P = .001) and TSK-11 (r = -0.441, P = .012) scores demonstrated fair correlations with achieving PASS for HOS-SS at 2-year follow-up.

Conclusions

Patient kinesiophobia and pain catastrophizing at 1-year follow-up were negatively correlated with RTS and achievement of a CSO in sport-related activities at 2-year follow-up.

Level of Evidence

III, prospective cohort study.

Individuals With Pre-arthritic Hip Pain Walk With Hip Motion Alterations Common in Individuals With Hip OA

Background: Individuals with hip osteoarthritis (OA) commonly walk with less hip extension compared to individuals without hip OA. This alteration is often attributed to walking speed, structural limitation, and/or hip pain. It is unclear if individuals who are at increased risk for future OA (i.e., individuals with pre-arthritic hip disease [PAHD]) also walk with decreased hip extension. Objectives: (1) Determine if individuals with PAHD exhibit less hip extension compared to individuals without hip pain during walking, and (2) investigate potential reasons for these motion alterations. Methods: Adolescent and adult individuals with PAHD and healthy controls without hip pain were recruited for the study. Kinematic data were collected while walking on a treadmill at three walking speeds: preferred, fast (25% faster than preferred), and prescribed (1.25 m/s). Peak hip extension, peak hip flexion, and hip excursion were calculated for each speed. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the effects of group, sex, side, and their interactions. Results: Individuals with PAHD had 2.9° less peak hip extension compared to individuals in the Control group (p = 0.014) when walking at their preferred speed. At the prescribed speed, the PAHD group walked with 2.7° less hip extension than the Control group (p = 0.022). Given the persistence of the finding despite walking at the same speed, differences in preferred speed are unlikely the reason for the reduced hip extension. At the fast speed, both groups increased their hip extension, hip flexion, and hip excursion by similar amounts. Hip extension was less in the PAHD group compared to the Control group (p = 0.008) with no significant group-by-task interaction (p = 0.206). Within the PAHD group, hip angles and excursions were similar between individuals reporting pain and individuals reporting no pain. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that kinematic alterations common in individuals with hip OA exist early in the continuum of hip disease and are present in individuals with PAHD. The reduced hip extension during walking is not explained by speed, structural limitation, or current pain.

Femoroacetabular Impingement and Labral Tear: From the Most Highly Cited Articles to Research Interests

Objective

To highlight the characteristics of the most highly cited articles and propose the research interests over the past decades in the field of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and labral tear.

Methods

The ISI Web of Science database (Clarivate Analytics, New York, the United States) was utilized for the identification of articles on 15 December 2020. FAI and labral tear‐related articles (1138 articles) were retrieved, of which the 100 most‐cited articles (top 100) were identified. Subsequent analysis included citation density (citations/article age), authorship, institution, journal, geographic distribution, level of evidence, and theme.

Results

The number of citations per article ranged from 66 to 1189 with a mean of 163.31. The majority of articles were published in the United States (all articles/top 100 = 655/57) and Switzerland (85/22). University of Bern (n = 10) was the most prolific institution. The journal with the most of articles was Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery. The most prolific coauthor (all articles) or first authors (top 100) was Domb (n = 109) and Philippon (n = 6), respectively. The evidence with the most articles is level IV (n = 41). The top three most popular topics of research article were outcomes of surgery (n = 23), imaging diagnosis (n = 18), and comparison of surgery (n = 8). The top four most prevalent themes of review were labral tears (n = 3), FAI (n = 3), comparison of surgery imaging diagnosis, and outcomes of surgery (both n = 2). Six keywords with the newest average publication year, including FAI syndrome (average publication year = 2019.50), patient‐reported outcomes (2019.43), femoroplasty (2018.60), clinical outcomes (2018.17), borderline dysplasia (2018.00), and capsule (2018.00). Five keywords with the highest average citations, including outcome (average citations = 88.50), alpha angle (58.00), complications (55.86), revision hip arthroscopy (49.00), and systematic review (46.14).

Conclusions

Outcomes research is the most popular research interest and patient‐reported outcome instruments might be further and widely used in the emerging articles in the near future. The field of FAI and labral tear has shown an obvious trend of development and is steadily evolving. It could be predicted that there will be an increasing number of publications in the following years, with the United States and Switzerland maintaining leadership in this field.

Utility of Ultrasound-Guided Anesthetic Intra-articular Injection to Estimate the Outcome of Hip Arthroscopy in Patients with Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of ultrasound (US) guided intra‐hip joint injection to estimate the outcome of hip arthroscopy in patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome.

Methods

Patients with FAI syndrome (n = 60) were prospectively enrolled in our study. Before hip arthroscopy, a mix of 4 mL 2% lidocaine and 4 mL 1% ropivacaine were injected into the hip joint under the guidance of US. The clinical efficacy of the intra‐articular injection was evaluated by comparing the visual analog scale (VAS) and international hip outcome tool 12 (iHOT‐12) results before and after the injection. The outcome of hip arthroscopy was evaluated by iHOT‐12, the modified Harris hip score (MHHS), and the patient's satisfaction 12 months after the operation. The outcome of intra‐articular injection and hip arthroscopy were compared. Factors related to the outcomes of hip arthroscopy were evaluated. The correlation between the efficacy of intra‐hip joint injection and arthroscopy was evaluated.

Results

The VAS of patients decreased from 11.3 ± 7.7 to 3.3 ± 4.5, and the iHOT‐12 increased from 52.1 ± 23.2 to 84.1 ± 18.1 after intra‐articular injection (all P < 0.001). The iHOT‐12 score increased from 52.1 ± 23.2 to 78.9 ± 19.2, and the MHHS increased from 66.5 ± 6.8 to 81.6 ± 8.1 after hip arthroscopy (all P < 0.001). The satisfaction rate of arthroscopy, including very satisfied and effective patients, was 93.3%. Multi‐variable logistic regression showed that only iHOT‐12 improved value after injection was included in the regression formula of satisfaction, with the β of −0.154, standard error of 0.071, Wald value of 4.720, and OR of 0.857 (95%CI 0.746–0.985) (P = 0.03). Significant correlation was detected between iHOT‐12 scores after intra‐articular anesthesia and at 12 months after arthroscopy (r = 0.784, P < 0.001). So was the iHOT‐12 improved value (r = 0.781, P < 0.001) and the iHOT‐12 improved ratio (r = 0.848, P < 0.001). If we had performed arthroscopy only on patients with post‐injection iHOT‐12 score improvement ≥10, the satisfaction rate of arthroscopy would have increased to 96.6%.

Conclusions

US‐guided intra‐hip joint injection may provide a feasible way to estimate the outcome of hip arthroscopy in patients with FAI syndrome, and could be used as a method for indication selection of hip arthroscopy.

Minimum 2-Year Functional Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Capsular Autograft Hip Labral Reconstruction

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of literature on arthroscopic capsular autograft labral reconstruction.

PURPOSE

To report midterm functional outcomes for patients undergoing acetabular labral repair with capsular autograft labral reconstruction.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS

This is a retrospective case series of prospectively collected data on patients who underwent arthroscopic acetabular labral repair by the senior surgeon between March 2013 and August 2018. The inclusion criteria for this study were adult patients aged 18 years or older who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for arthroscopic capsular autograft labral reconstruction. Exclusion criteria were <2 years of postoperative follow-up, elective disenrollment from study before 2-year follow-up, or repeat ipsilateral hip surgery before 2-year follow-up. Intraoperatively, patients underwent capsular autograft hip labral reconstruction if they were found to have a labrum with hypoplastic tissue (width <5 mm), complex tearing, or frank degeneration of native tissue. Clinical outcome data consisted of patient-reported outcome measures.

RESULTS

A total of 97 hips (94 patients) met the inclusion criteria with a mean final follow-up of 28.2 months (95% CI, 26.0-30.4). Patients had a mean age of 39.0 years (95% CI, 36.8-41.2) with a mean body mass index of 25.8 (95% CI, 24.9-26.7). When compared with baseline (40.4 [95% CI, 36.7-44.2]), the mean international Hip-Outcome Tool-33 (iHOT-33) scores were significantly greater at 3-month (60.9 [95% CI, 56.8-64.9]; P < .001), 6-month (68.8 [95% CI, 64.7-72.9]; P < .001), 12-month (73.2 [95% CI, 68.9-77.5]; P < .001), and final (76.6 [95% CI, 72.4-80.8]; P < .001) follow-up. At 2-year follow-up, 76.3%, 65.5%, and 60.8% of patients' iHOT-33 scores exceeded clinically meaningful outcome thresholds for minimally clinically important difference (MCID), patient-acceptable symptomatic state, and substantial clinical benefit, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study of 97 hips undergoing arthroscopic labral repair with capsular autograft labral reconstruction, we found favorable outcomes that exceeded the MCID thresholds in the majority of patients at a mean 28.2 months' follow-up. Future studies should compare outcomes between this technique and other methods of autograft and allograft reconstruction to determine differences in patient-reported outcomes, donor-site morbidity, and complications.

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.

Arthroscopic Hip Surgery versus Conservative Therapy on Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis of RCTs

To determine the outcome and differences between arthroscopic hip surgery and conservative therapy in patients suffering from femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, we searched articles from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science and Clinicaltrials.gov using a Boolean search algorithm. Only randomized controlled trials comparing arthroscopic hip surgery and conservative therapy were included in this meta-analysis of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome management. Two authors determined eligibility, extracted the needed data and assessed the risk of bias of eligible studies independently. Then we meta-analyzed three articles to assess pooled estimate size (ES) and 95% confidence interval for Hip Outcome Score of activities of daily living (HOS ADL subscale), Hip Outcome Score sport (HOS sports subscale) and International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33) analyses were performed by using STATA version 14.0 MP (STATA, College Station, TX, USA) with the principal summary measures are mean between group difference, sample size, and standard deviation. We collected 52 articles in total after removing duplicates and screened by titles and abstracts. A total of three RCTs were included finally. There was definite evidence of additional benefit of arthroscopic hip surgery against conservative therapy in the field of improving quality of life (three trials, 575 participants, ES = 2.109, 95% CI: 1.373 to 2.845, I2  = 42.8%, P = 0.000) and activity of daily living (two trials, 262 participants, ES = 9.220, 95% CI: 5.931 to 12.508, I2  = 16.5%, P = 0.000). However, no significant difference could be seen in sports function improvement (two trials, ES = 7.562, 95% CI: -2.957 to 18.082, I2  = 60.1%, P = 0.159). In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that arthroscopic hip surgery provided essential benefit compared with conservative therapy in improving activity of daily living and quality of life.

Does Daily Physical Activity Differ Between Patients with Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome and Patients with Hip Dysplasia? A Cross-Sectional Study in 157 Patients and 60 Healthy Volunteers

BACKGROUND

The clinical presentation of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and acetabular hip dysplasia (HD) are similar. However, the groups seem to differ regarding physical activity (PA) and sport.

PURPOSE

The aim was to compare PA between three groups; patients with FAIS, patients with HD, and healthy volunteers. A secondary purpose was to compare self-reported function in sport and recreation (sport/recreation) between patients with FAIS and HD.

STUDY DESIGN

This study is a cross-sectional study on 157 patients with FAIS or HD and 60 healthy controls.

METHODS

PA was measured with accelerometer-based sensors, and sport/recreation was measured with the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS). Data on patients with FAIS or HD and healthy volunteers were collected in other studies and merged for comparison in this study.

RESULTS

Fifty-five patients with FAIS (20 males; mean age 36 years), 97 patients with HD (15 males; mean age 30 years) and 60 healthy volunteers (24 males; mean age 31 years) were included. Compared with patients with HD, patients with FAIS spent more time on very low intensity PA (mean 73 minutes (95% CI: 45;102)) and less time on low intensity PA per day (mean -21 minutes (95% CI: -37;-6)). Both groups spent less time on high intensity PA per day compared with healthy volunteers (p≤0.03). However, sport/recreation did not differ between the two groups (FAIS: median 34 points (IQR: 22;50) and HD: median 38 points (IQR: 25;53), p=0.16).

CONCLUSION

Patients with FAIS appear to be less physical active compared with patients with HD. However, both groups seem to perform less high intensity PA compared with healthy volunteers. This is interesting, as self-reported function in sport/recreation does not differ between patients with FAIS and HD. Thus, high intensity PA seems to be a key outcome in the management of patients with FAIS and HD.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 2b.

The Validity, Reliability, and Responsiveness of the International Hip Outcome Tool-33 (iHOT-33) in Patients With Hip and Groin Pain Treated Without Surgery

BACKGROUND

The International Hip Outcome Tool-33 (iHOT-33) was developed to evaluate patients seeking surgery for hip and/or groin (hip/groin) pain and may not be appropriate for those seeking nonsurgical treatment.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the iHOT-33 total (iHOT-Total) score and all subscale scores in adults with hip/groin pain who were not seeking surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Patients with hip/groin pain who were not seeking surgery were recruited from 2 ongoing studies in Australia. Semistructured one-on-one interviews assessed content validity. Construct validity was assessed by testing hypothesized correlations between iHOT-33 and Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) subscale scores. Test-retest reliability was assessed in patients not undertaking treatment and who reported "no change" in their Global Rating of Change (GROC) score at 6-month follow-up. Scores were reliable at group and individual levels if intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were ≥0.80 and ≥0.90, respectively. Scores were responsive if Spearman rank correlations (ρ) between the change in the iHOT-33 score and the GROC score were ≥0.40.

RESULTS

In total, 278 patients with hip/groin pain (93 women; mean age, 31 years) and 55 pain-free control participants (14 women; mean age, 29 years) were recruited. The iHOT-33 demonstrated acceptable content validity. Construct validity was acceptable, with all hypothesized strong positive correlations between iHOT-33 and HAGOS subscale scores confirmed (r range, 0.60-0.76; P < .001), except for one correlation between the iHOT-Sport and HAGOS-Sport (r = .058; P < .001). All scores were reliable at the group level, except for the iHOT-33 job subscale (iHOT-Job) (ICC range, 0.78-0.88 [95% CI, 0.60-0.93]). None of the subscales met the criteria for adequate reliability for use at the individual level (all ICCs <0.90). Minimal detectable change values (group level) ranged from 2.3 to 3.7 (95% CI, 1.7-5.0). All iHOT-33 subscale scores were responsive (ρ range, 0.40-0.58; P≤ .001), except for the iHOT-Job in patients not undertaking treatment (ρ = 0.27; P = .001).

CONCLUSION

All iHOT-33 subscale scores were valid for use in patients with hip/groin pain who were not seeking surgery. Acceptable test-retest reliability was found for all subscale scores at the group level, except the iHOT-Job. All subscale scores, excluding the iHOT-Job, were responsive, regardless of undertaking physical therapist-led treatment or no treatment.

Gender and Age-Specific Differences Observed in Rates of Achieving Meaningful Clinical Outcomes 5-Years After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

PURPOSE

To compare the impact of age and gender on achieving meaningful outcomes among minimum patients 5 years after undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

METHODS

Consecutive patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAIS by a single fellowship-trained surgeon between January 2012 and October 2014 were analyzed. Study inclusion criteria included any patient undergoing primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS, with 5 years follow-up. Preoperative and 5-year postoperative functional scores were collected, including the Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living Subscale (HOS-ADL), HOS-Sport Subscale (HOS-SS), modified Harris hip score (mHHS), and Visual Analog Scale for satisfaction. Patients were matched 1:1 by gender and age to compare outcomes between these 2 demographics. Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) were calculated for each functional measure and compared by gender and age.

RESULTS

Of the 340 patients (70.5%) with 5 years' follow up, 150 were matched by gender and age into one of the following groups: female patients <30 years, female patients 30 to 45 years, female patients >45 years, male patients <30 years, male patients 30 to 45 years, and male patients >45 years of age. At minimum 5-year follow-up, all 6 groups demonstrated statistically significant improvement in the functional outcome score averages and pain (P < .001 for all). Both within gender and within age category analysis of postoperative functional scores did not demonstrate any statistical differences (P > .05). Analysis of achieving MCID and PASS demonstrated that females had higher rates of reaching the HOS-SS and mHHS threshold for achieving MCID as compared to their male counterparts (P < .05). Furthermore, patients <30 years old had higher rates of reaching the HOS-ADL and mHHS for achieving PASS when compared to patients >45 years old (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

The majority of patients achieve clinically significant outcome improvement at 5-year follow-up after arthroscopic FAIS surgery. Females reach the mHHS threshold for achieving MCID at significantly higher rates than males. Patients <30 years of age achieved PASS on the HOS-ADL and mHHS threshold scores at higher rates than those >45 years old.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, case-control study.

Primary cam morphology; bump, burden or bog-standard? A concept analysis

BACKGROUND

Cam morphology, a distinct bony morphology of the hip, is prevalent in many athletes, and a risk factor for hip-related pain and osteoarthritis. Secondary cam morphology, due to existing or previous hip disease (eg, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease), is well-described. Cam morphology not clearly associated with a disease is a challenging concept for clinicians, scientists and patients. We propose this morphology, which likely develops during skeletal maturation as a physiological response to load, should be referred to as primary cam morphology. The aim of this study was to introduce and clarify the concept of primary cam morphology.

DESIGN

We conducted a concept analysis of primary cam morphology using articles that reported risk factors associated with primary cam morphology; we excluded articles on secondary cam morphology. The concept analysis method is a rigorous eight-step process designed to clarify complex 'concepts'; the end product is a precise definition that supports the theoretical basis of the chosen concept.

RESULTS

We propose five defining attributes of primary cam morphology-tissue type, size, site, shape and ownership-in a new conceptual and operational definition. Primary cam morphology is a cartilage or bony prominence (bump) of varying size at the femoral head-neck junction, which changes the shape of the femoral head from spherical to aspherical. It often occurs in asymptomatic male athletes in both hips. The cartilage or bone alpha angle (calculated from radiographs, CT or MRI) is the most common method to measure cam morphology. We found inconsistent reporting of primary cam morphology taxonomy, terminology, and how the morphology is operationalised.

CONCLUSION

We introduce and clarify primary cam morphology, and propose a new conceptual and operational definition. Several elements of the concept of primary cam morphology remain unclear and contested. Experts need to agree on the new taxonomy, terminology and definition that better reflect the primary cam morphology landscape-a bog-standard bump in most athletic hips, and a possible hip disease burden in a selected few.

Hip Strength Before and After Arthroscopic Femoroacetabular Impingement Surgery

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and labral pathology are associated with pain, decreased function, and hip strength deficits. Existing data are in conflict regarding when hip strength normalizes following arthroscopic treatment of FAI. The objective of this study was to identify preoperative hip strength relative to the contralateral hip not undergoing surgery as well as when postoperative strength in 4 functional muscle groups normalizes following arthroscopic treatment of FAI. Ninety-eight individuals with radiographic evidence of FAI and labral pathology underwent arthroscopic labral repair. Pre-surgical hip strength testing was performed in the symptomatic "surgical hip" and the contralateral "non-surgical hip." Hip strength measurements were repeated at 8 and 16 weeks postoperatively. Significant preoperative hip strength deficits were noted in the surgical hip compared with the non-surgical hip in flexion, extension, and adduction. At 8 weeks postoperatively, hip strength in the surgical hip improved to being equivalent to that in the non-surgical hip in adduction and extension, remained equivalent to that of the non-surgical hip in abduction, and decreased in flexion relative to the non-surgical hip. At 16 weeks, hip strength remained equivalent in the surgical hip and the non-surgical hip in abduction and adduction, but the surgical hip exceeded the non-surgical hip in extension. While flexion strength improved between 8 and 16 weeks postoperatively for the surgical hip, it had not fully recovered to that of the non-surgical hip. Using a structured postoperative rehabilitation protocol, abduction strength was maintained at 8 weeks postoperatively, while adduction and extension strength had improved to those of the non-surgical hip. At 16 weeks postoperatively, hip abduction and adduction had strength equivalent to those of the non-surgical hip. Despite preoperative improvement, flexion of the surgical hip lagged behind that of the non-surgical hip 16 weeks postoperatively. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(3):148-153.].

Acute Groin Pain Syndrome Due to Internal Obturator Muscle Injury in a Professional Football Player

Traumatic groin pain syndrome is the result of an acute trauma, usually an indirect muscle injury (i.e., an overstretching of the muscle fibers). The most affected muscles in traumatic groin pain syndrome are rectus abdominis, adductors, and iliopsoas. The internal obturator muscle lesion is very rare. The internal obturator muscle externally rotates the thigh and contributes to the stabilization of the hip joint and its indirect injury may cause the onset of traumatic groin pain syndrome. This case report describes a rare indirect injury of internal obturator in a 29-year-old professional male soccer player.

The Effect of Perioperative Ketorolac Administration on Opioid Use After Hip Arthroscopy

Patients undergoing hip arthroscopy often have postoperative pain that is managed in part with opioids. The hypothesis of this study was that administration of ketorolac at the conclusion of the case may improve postoperative pain control and reduce opioid use. This investigation was a retrospective, observational study of opioid use, pain, and time spent in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) among opioid-naïve patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy (Current Procedural Terminology code 29914 or 29916) for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome before and after the institution of a surgeon-driven policy to administer ketorolac at the end of the case. Baseline characteristics and perioperative ketorolac administration were recorded. Outcomes included opioids used in the PACU through discharge measured in oral morphine equivalents, time spent in the PACU, and pain reported by the patient in the PACU. Comparative statistics, including multivariable main effects linear regression modeling, were performed to determine the effect of ketorolac administration on outcomes. Patients who did not receive ketorolac consumed a median of 22.5 oral morphine equivalents in the PACU through discharge, whereas patients who received ketorolac consumed a median of 17.5 oral morphine equivalents. No significant difference was found in pain reported or time spent in the PACU through discharge, although the results favored ketorolac administration. This study showed a modest but statistically significant reduction in early postoperative opioid use among patients receiving ketorolac at closure. Ketorolac could be part of a multimodal preemptive pain management strategy to help to reduce postoperative opioid use. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(3):e417-e421.].

A Delphi survey and international e-survey evaluating the Doha agreement meeting classification system in groin pain: Where are we 5 years later?

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the adoption of and opinions on the Doha agreement meeting classification in groin pain in athletes.

DESIGN

Delphi survey and e-survey.

METHODS

A 2-round Delphi survey among the Doha agreement meeting expert group, and a separate international e-survey among clinicians who regularly assess athletes with groin pain. Clinical cases were presented, and participants provided their preferred terms for the diagnoses. All participants reported if they had adopted the Doha agreement meeting classification system in their practice. The Doha agreement meeting experts also shared opinions on amendments to the classification system, and reported their level of agreement with suggested statements.

RESULTS

In the Delphi survey, the Doha agreement meeting experts (n = 21) reported 8-11 different terms for their primary diagnosis of each presented case. The Doha agreement meeting terminology was used by 50-67% of these experts. In the international e-survey (n = 51), 12-15 different diagnostic terms were reported in each clinical case, and 43-55% of clinicians used the Doha agreement meeting terminology. Adoption of the Doha agreement classification system in practice was reported by 73-82% of the Doha agreement meeting experts and 57-69% of the clinicians in the international e-survey. The experts suggested 49 statements regarding amendments to the classification system. Seven of these reached >75% agreement or disagreement.

CONCLUSIONS

Five years after publication, the majority of the Doha agreement expert group and independent international clinicians report adopting the Doha agreement meeting classification system. There is still considerable heterogeneity in diagnostic terminology when clinical cases are presented, and disagreement on statements related to amendments of the current classification system.

Use of Younger Patient Age and Greater Anterior Center-Edge Angle to Predict the Need for Bilateral Hip Arthroscopy in Patients With Bilateral Femoroacetabular Impingement-Related Hip Pain

BACKGROUND

In patients with symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, bilateral hip pain has been reported to occur in high frequency. However, not all patients require bilateral hip arthroscopy.

PURPOSE

To determine the incidence, patient-specific variables, and postoperative outcomes in patients who presented with bilateral hip pain at the time of index hip arthroscopy and underwent subsequent contralateral arthroscopic hip surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS

Patients who presented with bilateral hip pain, underwent primary hip arthroscopy between January 2012 and June 2018 for indication of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, and had minimum 2-year follow-up were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline descriptive data, preoperative hip range of motion, and radiographic measurements were recorded with pre- and postoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Independent samples t test was used to compare continuous variables, and chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables between patients undergoing unilateral and bilateral surgery. Bivariate correlations and a multivariable binary logistic regression were performed to determine factors predictive of the need for future contralateral hip arthroscopy.

RESULTS

In total, 108 patients were identified who reported bilateral hip pain during the index evaluation, underwent primary hip arthroscopy, and had 2-year follow-up. Among these, 42% (n = 45) elected to undergo hip arthroscopy on the contralateral hip at a mean of 6.0 months (range, 1-17 months) after the index surgery. Patients requiring bilateral surgery were significantly younger (P = .004) and had a larger preoperative anterior center-edge angle (ACEA; P = .038) when compared with patients who had unilateral surgery. There were no significant differences in alpha angle measurements between patients who had unilateral and bilateral surgery. On bivariate analysis, younger age at the time of the index surgery (r = -0.272; P = .005) and preoperative ACEA (r = 0.249; P = .016) were significantly correlated with the need for bilateral surgery. On multivariate analysis, younger age remained a significant predictor for bilateral surgery (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.99). Patients who underwent bilateral hip arthroscopy reported significant improvement in all PROs (P < .001), with a significantly greater mean Hip Outcome Score- Sports Specific Subscale score when compared with patients undergoing unilateral surgery (P = .037).

CONCLUSION

Subsequent contralateral hip arthroscopy was performed in 42% of patients who presented with bilateral hip pain. Younger age at the time of the index surgery and greater ACEA were predictive of the need for contralateral surgery. Patients undergoing bilateral surgery reported significantly improvement in PROs at minimum 2-year follow-up.

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.

Sex-Related Hip Strength Measures Among Professional Soccer Players

ABSTRACT

Hedt, CA, Pearson, JM, Lambert, BS, McCulloch, PC, and Harris, JD. Sex-related hip strength measures among professional soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 35(7): 1992-1999, 2021-Lower-extremity musculoskeletal injuries in soccer are common among sexes. However, it remains unknown whether differences between sexes exist with regard to absolute or relative hip strength and how these differences may relate to injury. In the current study, we performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of pre-season data from male (♂n = 21) and female (♀n = 19) professional United States soccer organizations. Two years of pre-season data were collected for peak strength of lower extremity and hip musculature (no duplicates used). A 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of variance was used to detect differences in hip strength between sexes and dominant compared with nondominant legs. For all significant multivariate effects indicated by Wilks lambda and follow-up univariate analysis, a Tukey's post hoc test was used for pairwise univariate comparisons. A 2-tailed independent-samples T-test was used for comparison of height, body mass, body mass index (BMI), mean leg length, and strength ratios between dominant and nondominant limbs between sexes. Type I error was set at α = 0.05 for all analyses. Height (♂183.1 ± 6.8 cm, ♀170.0 ± 5.5 cm), body mass (♂79.0 ± 8.7 kg, ♀65.1 ± 5.6 kg), BMI (♂23.5 ± 1.3 kg·m-2, ♀22.5 ± 1.4 kg·m-2), and mean leg length (♂95.5 ± 4.34 cm, ♀ 88.3 ± 3.24 cm) differed between groups (p < 0.05). Sex differences (p < 0.05) were also found for hip abduction (dominant ♂19.5 ± 3.6 kg, ♀17.3 ± 2.2 kg; nondominant ♂18.5 ± 3.7 kg, ♀16.0 ± 2.3 kg), adduction (dominant ♂19.8 ± 3.0 kg, ♀16.7 ± 2.3 kg; nondominant ♂20.1 ± 2.9 kg, ♀17.6 ± 2.9 kg), external rotation (dominant ♂21.7 ± 3.4 kg, ♀17.7 ± 2.4 kg; nondominant ♂21.6 ± 3.9 kg, ♀16.8 ± 2.1 kg), and dominant hamstring strength (♂27.9 ± 6.5 kg, ♀23.0 ± 4.9 kg). The ratio of hip internal to external rotation strength differed in the nondominant leg (♂1.1 ± 0.2, ♀0.9 ± 0.2, p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between males and females when measures were normalized to body mass. These findings provide baseline pre-season normative data for professional soccer athletes and indicate that strength differences can be expected among different sexes, but are attenuated with attention to body mass. Further research should indicate how pre-season strength measures relate to injury.

A Current Update on Pelvifemoral Conditions That Should be in the Differential Diagnosis for Patients With Lower Extremity Radiculopathy

Patients presenting to an outpatient spine clinic frequently report symptoms of low back pain with associated buttock, groin, and lower extremity pain. While many of these individuals suffer from lumbar spine radiculopathy, a number of different orthopedic pathologies can mimic these symptoms. Management depends substantially on a detailed history and physical examination, in addition to working from a broad list of differential diagnoses when evaluating these patients. It is imperative that spine practitioners have a comprehensive understanding of the differential diagnoses that may mimic those originating from the lumbar spine, especially when a patient's symptoms are atypical from classic radicular pain. Misdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary testing and treatment, while delaying an accurate clinical assessment and treatment plan. This review highlights common orthopedic diagnoses that may present similar to lumbar spine pathologies and the evidence-based evaluation of these conditions.

The Key Parts of Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: Implications for the Learning Curve

Background:

Hip arthroscopy is a rapidly growing surgical approach to treat femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome with a significant learning curve pertaining to complication risk, reoperation rate, and total hip arthroplasty conversion. Hip arthroscopy is more frequently being taught in residency and fellowship training. The key, or critical, parts of the technique have not yet been defined.

Purpose:

To identify the key components required to perform arthroscopic treatment of FAI syndrome.

Study Design:

Consensus statement.

Methods:

A 3-question survey comprising questions on hip arthroscopy for FAI was sent to a convenience sample of 101 high-volume arthroscopic hip surgeons in the United States. Surgeon career length (years) and maintenance volume (cases per year) were queried. Hip arthroscopy was divided into 10 steps using a Delphi technique to achieve a convergence of expert opinion. A step was considered “key” if it could (1) avoid complications, (2) reduce risk of revision arthroscopy, (3) reduce risk of total hip arthroplasty conversion, or (4) optimize patient-reported outcomes. Based on previous literature, steps with >90% of participants were defined as key. Descriptive and correlation statistics were calculated.

Results:

A total of 64 surgeons (63% response rate) reported 5.6 ± 2.1 steps as key (median, 6; range, 1-9). Most surgeons (56.3%) had been performing hip arthroscopy for >5 years. Most surgeons (71.9%) had performed >100 hip arthroscopy procedures per year. Labral treatment (97% agreement) and cam correction (91% agreement) were the 2 key steps of hip arthroscopy for FAI. Pincer/subspine correction (86% agreement), dynamic examination before capsular closure (63% agreement), and capsular management/closure (63% agreement) were selected by a majority of respondents but did not meet the study definition of key. There was no significant correlation between surgeon experience and designation of certain steps as key.

Conclusion:

Based on a Delphi technique and expert opinion survey of high-volume surgeons, labral treatment and cam correction are the 2 key parts of hip arthroscopy for FAI syndrome.

High rate of return to tennis after hip arthroscopy for patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate return to sport (RTS) outcomes in tennis athletes following hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). It was hypothesized that there would be a high rate of return to tennis after hip arthroscopy.

STUDY DESIGN

Level IV, Retrospective Analysis.

SETTING

Outpatient sports medicine clinic at a single institution.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 28 patients (60.8% female; mean age, 36.2 ± 9.2 years; mean BMI, 22.8 ± 2.1 kg/m²) with self reported tennis activity prior to hip arthroscopy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

A postoperative return to sport and minimum two-year patient reported outcomes.

RESULTS

There was a high rate of return to tennis, with 78% of patients eventually returning to tennis. An additional 9% of patients had the necessary hip function to return, but did not return due to lack of interest or resources. The patients returned to tennis at an average of 8.0 ± 3.3 months after surgery. The majority of athletes (66.7%) were able to continue competing at the same or higher levels following surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients return to tennis 78% of the time at a mean of 8.0 ± 3.3 months following hip arthroscopy for FAIS.

Utilisation of exercise as part of guideline-based care for hip pain in the Australian workers' compensation environment

BACKGROUND

Guidelines recommend early referral for exercise for hip pain. It is unclear if this occurs in the Australian workers' compensation environment.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate referral for exercise in workers with a compensable hip claim.

METHODS

Retrospective audit of closed compensation files for workers with hip pain was performed. Exercise commencement was indicated by billing codes for physiotherapy or exercise specific consultations. Time to exercise commencement was calculated. Associations were analysed between time to exercise commencement with claim duration and diagnostic category.

RESULTS

Exercise management occurred for 33/44 cases. Median time to commence exercise for those cases that had exercise was 14 days post-injury, with 33% commencing beyond 4 weeks. Longer time to commence exercise was associated with a longer claim duration (Spearman's rho = 0.70). Workers with a diagnosis of hip joint pain had a longer time to exercise commencement (median 49.5 days) compared to those with a diagnosis of lateral hip pain (median 14 days) or non-specific hip pain (median 4.5 days).

CONCLUSION

Findings indicate practice behaviours in the workers' compensation environment for the management of hip pain with exercise. Further investigation is warranted to see if improved adherence to guideline recommendations improves outcomes for people with compensable hip pain.

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

OBJECTIVE

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

METHODS

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

RESULTS

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

CONCLUSION

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

Medium-term results of arthroscopic treatment for femoroacetabular impingement

INTRODUCTION

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a dynamic pathomechanical process of the femoral head-neck junction. Arthroscopic surgery for FAI has increased exponentially in the last decade, and this trend is expected to increase.

SOURCE OF DATA

Recent published literatures.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT

FAI promotes quick rehabilitation and low complication rates in the short-term follow-up.

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY

Despite the growing interest on arthroscopic surgery for FAI, current evidence regarding the medium- and long-term role of arthroscopy are unsatisfactory.

GROWING POINTS

Systematically summarize current evidences, analyse the quantitative available data and investigate the medium- and long-term outcomes of arthroscopic surgery for FAI.

AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH

Arthroscopic surgery achieves very satisfactory outcomes for patients with FAI at a mean follow-up of 4 years.

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.

Arthroscopic Correction of Femoroacetabular Impingement for Concomitant Inguinal Disruption in Athletes With Dual Pathology

BACKGROUND

Inguinal disruption and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) are well-recognized sources of groin pain in athletes; however, the relationship between inguinal disruption and FAI remains unclear. In cases of dual pathology, where both entities coexist, there is no definitive consensus regarding which pathology should be prioritized for treatment in the first instance.

PURPOSE

(1) To examine the 2-year effectiveness and clinical outcome in athletes presenting with dual pathology in which the FAI component alone was treated with arthroscopic deformity correction. (2) To compare 2-year patient-reported outcome measures between athletes undergoing only hip arthroscopy (HA) and athletes undergoing groin repair and HA.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

All patients undergoing HA for the treatment of FAI with concomitant clinical signs of inguinal disruption at initial consultation were between 2010 and 2016 were included in this study. Inclusion criteria were male sex, age <40 years, and involvement in competitive sporting activity. Athletes with previous HA on the symptomatic side, Tönnis grade >1, or lateral center-edge angle <25° were excluded. Revision HA or subsequent groin surgery was documented. Outcome evaluation consisted of validated patient-reported outcome measures (modified Harris Hip Score; University of California, Los Angeles Activity Scale; 36-Item Short Form Health Survey; Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) completed preoperatively and a minimum 2 years postoperatively. The minimal clinically important difference was assessed by using a distribution-based technique (SD, 0.5) and an anchor-based technique (percentage of possible improvement). Level of satisfaction and return to play were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 113 cases of dual pathology were included in 91 patients with a mean ± SD age of 26.3 ± 5.1 years. The index surgical procedure was HA for 104 cases (92%) and groin repair for 9 (8%). For patients undergoing HA as the index procedure, 98.1% (102/104 cases) were successfully followed up to establish survivorship. In 89.2% (91/102 cases), no additional groin surgery was required. In 11 cases (10.8%), additional groin surgery was required for persisting inguinal-related groin pain. At 2 years after the operation, there was no difference for any patient-reported outcome measure (P > .099), improvement from baseline (P > .070), or proportion of cases achieving the minimal clinically important difference (P > .120) between the HA-only group and the group undergoing HA and groin repair at any stage. There was also no difference between groups in terms of return-to-play rate (P = .509) or levels of satisfaction (pain, P = .204; performance, P = .345).

CONCLUSION

In patients with dual pathology, treatment of the FAI component alone using arthroscopic hip surgery results in a successful outcome without need for groin repair in 89.2% of cases. No statistical difference in clinical outcome 2 years after surgery was observed between athletes undergoing 1 procedure (HA alone) and those undergoing 2 procedures (HA and groin repair at any stage).

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.

Posterior Extra-articular Ischiofemoral Impingement Can Be Caused by the Lesser and Greater Trochanter in Patients With Increased Femoral Version: Dynamic 3D CT-Based Hip Impingement Simulation of a Modified FABER Test

Background:

Posterior extra-articular hip impingement has been described for valgus hips with increased femoral version (FV). These patients can present clinically with lack of external rotation (ER) and extension and with a positive posterior impingement test. But we do not know the effect of the combination of deformities, and the impingement location in early flexion is unknown.

Purpose:

To evaluate patient-specific 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) scans of hips with increased FV and control hips for differences in range of motion, location and prevalence of osseous posterior intra- and extra-articular hip impingement.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Osseous 3D models based on segmentation of 3D CT scans were analyzed for 52 hips (38 symptomatic patients) with positive posterior impingement test and increased FV (>35°). There were 26 hips with an increased McKibbin instability index >70 (unstable hips). Patients were mainly female (96%), with an age range of 18 to 45 years. Of them, 21 hips had isolated increased FV (>35°); 22 hips had increased FV and increased acetabular version (AV; >25°); and 9 valgus hips (caput-collum-diaphyseal angle >139°) had increased FV and increased AV. The control group consisted of 20 hips with normal FV, normal AV, and no valgus (caput-collum-diaphyseal angle <139°). Validated 3D CT–based collision detection software for impingement simulation was used to calculate impingement-free range of motion and location of hip impingement. Surgical treatment was performed after the 3D CT–based impingement simulation in 27 hips (52%).

Results:

Hips with increased FV had significantly (P < .001) decreased extension and ER at 90° of flexion as compared with the control group. Posterior impingement was extra-articular (92%) in hips with increased FV. Valgus hips with increased FV and AV had combined intra- and extra-articular impingement. Posterior hip impingement occurred between the ischium and the lesser trochanter at 20° of extension and 20° of ER. Impingement was located between the ischium and the greater trochanter or intertrochanteric area at 20° of flexion and 40° of ER, with a modification of the flexion-abduction-ER (FABER) test.

Conclusion:

Posterior extra-articular ischiofemoral hip impingement can be caused by the lesser and greater trochanter or the intertrochanteric region. We recommend performing the modified FABER test during clinical examination in addition to the posterior impingement test for female patients with high FV. In addition, 3D CT can help for surgical planning, such as femoral derotation osteotomy and/or hip arthroscopy or resection of the lesser trochanter.

Influence of simulated hip muscle weakness on hip joint forces during deep squatting

This study aimed to determine the effects of simulated hip muscle weakness on changes in hip joint forces during deep squat motion. Ten healthy individuals performed squat motion at three different positions (0° foot angle [N-squat], 10° toe-in [IN-squat], and 30° toe-out [OUT-squat]). A scaled musculoskeletal model for each participant was used to calculate the muscle and hip joint forces. For each hip muscle, models of full strength, mild muscle weakness (15% decrease), and severe muscle weakness (30% decrease) were created. The muscles affecting the hip joint forces were identified, and the rate of change in the joint forces was compared among the three squat conditions. The anterior hip joint force was increased in the muscle weakness models of the inferior gluteus maximus (iGlutMax) and iGlutMax+deep external rotator (ExtRot) muscles. With 30% muscle weakness of these muscles, statistically significant differences in the rate of increase in the anterior joint force were observed in the following order: IN-squat (iGlutMax, 29.5%; iGlutMax+ExtRot, 41.4%), N-squat (iGlutMax, 18.3%; iGlutMax+ExtRot, 27.8%), and OUT-squat (iGlutMax, 5.6%; iGlutMax+ExtRot, 9.3%). OUT-squat may be recommended to minimize the increase in hip joint forces if accompanied by hip muscle weakness.

Maximal hip muscle strength and rate of torque development 6-30 months after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Reduced sports function is often observed after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). Impaired muscle strength could be reasons for this. We aimed to investigate hip muscle strength after hip arthroscopy for FAIS and its association with sports function and participation.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

We included 45 patients (34 males; mean age: 30.6 ± 5.9 years) after unilateral hip arthroscopy for FAIS (mean follow-up [range]: 19.3 [9.8-28.4] months). Maximal isometric hip muscle strength (Nm/kg) including early- (0-100 ms) and late-phase (0-200 ms) rate of torque development (Nm∗kg^-1∗s^-1) for adduction, abduction, flexion, and extension was measured with an externally fixated handheld dynamometer and compared between operated and non-operated hip. Associations between muscle strength and self-reported sports function and return to sport were investigated.

RESULTS

For maximal hip muscle strength, no between-hip differences were observed for adduction, abduction, flexion, and extension (p ≥ 0.102). For rate of torque development, significantly lower values were observed for the operated hip in flexion at both 0-100 ms (mean difference: 1.58 Nm∗kg^-1∗s^-1, 95% CI [0.39; 2.77], p = 0.01) and 0-200 ms (mean difference: 0.72 Nm∗kg^-1∗s^-1, 95% CI [0.09; 1.35], p = 0.027). Higher maximal hip extension strength was significantly associated with greater ability to participate fully in preinjury sport at preinjury level (odds ratio: 17.71 95% CI [1.77; 177.60]).

CONCLUSIONS

After hip arthroscopy for FAIS subjects show limited impairments in maximal and explosive hip muscle strength between operated and non-operated hip. Higher muscle strength was positively associated with higher sports function and ability to participate in sport.

Can We Identify Why Athletes Fail to Return to Sport After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

No previous systematic review has focused on the athletes who fail to return to sport after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

PURPOSE

To review the literature on the athletes who fail to return to sport after hip arthroscopy for FAIS to determine the rate of nonreturning athletes and explore the reasons for their inability to return to sport after arthroscopic FAI surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

Three electronic databases were searched for eligible articles. Two reviewers independently screened the titles, abstracts, and full-text articles using prespecified criteria. Eligible articles were those that clearly stated the rate of athletes who did not return to sport after hip arthroscopy for FAIS. Data collected were the rate of patients who did not return to sport, the level of competition (high level, recreational, or mixed), the type of sport, comments on patients who did not return to sport, the rate of subsequent hip surgeries (total hip replacement or revision hip arthroscopy) in nonreturning athletes, and the reported reason for not returning to sport. A random-effects model was used for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty studies were eligible for inclusion, and 1093 athletes were analyzed. The weighted rate of athletes who did not return to sport after hip arthroscopy for FAIS was 12.1% (95% CI, 7.7-17.4). Only 2 studies (2/20;10%) reported the age of the athletes who did not return, while sex was reported in 3 studies (3/20;15%). The estimated proportion of athletes who did not return to sport because of hip-related issues was significantly greater than the percentage of athletes who did not return for reasons unrelated to their hip (74.3% vs 22.3%; P < .0001). Persistent hip pain was the most commonly reported factor (52/110 patients; 47.2%) associated with failure to return to sport. Whether the nonreturning athletes underwent any subsequent hip procedure after hip arthroscopy for FAIS was reported in only 4 out of 20 studies (20%). There was evidence of publication bias and study heterogeneity.

CONCLUSION

The estimated rate of athletes who did not return to sport after hip arthroscopy for FAIS was 12%, with the majority of athletes being unable to return because of persistent hip pain. There is a severe lack of evidence on the athlete characteristics and clinical course of the nonreturning athletes, and the rate of subsequent hip procedures is unknown. The outcomes and reasons for athletes not returning to sport should be reported in detail to improve patient care.