Hip Arthroscopy in Athletes

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopy is a well-accepted technique in the management of many athletic-related hip disorders, yet little quantitative outcomes data have been reported. PURPOSE: To report the results of hip arthroscopy in a consecutive series of athletes with 10-year follow-up. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: Since 1993, all patients undergoing hip arthroscopy at our institution have been prospectively assessed with a modified Harris hip score preoperatively and then postoperatively at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 60, and 120 months or until a subsequent procedure was performed. The variables studied included age, sex, type of sport, level of sport, diagnosis, duration of symptoms, onset of symptoms, and center edge angle. Fifty-two procedures were performed on 50 patients who had achieved 10-year follow-up. Fifteen patients developed symptoms in the course of athletic activities and their cases represent the substance of this study. RESULTS: Follow-up information was available for all 15 patients (11 men and 4 women). The average age was 31.7 years (range, 14-70 years). Type of sport involved included football (3), tennis (3), basketball (2), golf (2), and others (5); with 9 recreational, 4 high school, and 2 intercollegiate athletes. Diagnoses included chondral damage (8), labral tear (7), arthritis (5), avascular necrosis (1), loose body (1), and synovitis (1). The median improvement in the modified Harris hip score was 45 points (from 51 preoperatively to 96, on the 100-point scale), with 13 patients (87%) returning to their sport. All 5 athletes with arthritis eventually underwent total hip arthroplasty at an average of 6 years. There were no complications. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopy to address hip injuries in athletes can result in substantial improvement with durable results. However, arthritis is a prognostic indicator of poor long-term outcomes.