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Background: Previous studies have demonstrated various groin-related nerve and soft tissue complications in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy with a perineal post. Purpose: To prospectively compare groin-related nerve and soft tissue complications between patients undergoing hip arthroscopy with and without the use of a perineal post. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A prospective single-surgeon cohort study was performed on all patients undergoing hip arthroscopy by the senior author between January 2020 and March 2022. A post-free hip distraction system was used at 1 center in which the senior author operates, and a system with a large padded perineal post was used at another surgical location. Patients completed a survey at the first postoperative visit (7-10 days) to determine if they had experienced any groin-related complications after surgery (groin numbness, sexual/urinary dysfunction, skin tears). Patients with a positive survey response repeated the survey at each follow-up visit (6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months) until the symptoms resolved. The rate and duration of groin-related complications were then compared between the groups. Results: A total of 87 patients were included in the study who underwent hip arthroscopy: 53 with a perineal post and 34 without. No differences were found between the post and postless groups in terms of age at surgery, sex, body mass index, or traction time. We found that 16 patients (30%) in the perineal post group experienced groin numbness versus 0 (0%) in the postless group ( P < .0001). On average, groin numbness lasted 5 ± 3 days (mean ± SD) in the perineal post group. Three patients in the perineal post group experienced sexual dysfunction for a mean 7 days, as compared with none in the postless group. Seventeen patients (32%) in the perineal post group experienced foot numbness versus 4 (12%) in the postless group ( P = .04). One patient in the perineal post group reported a superficial skin tear. Conclusion: Postless hip arthroscopy resulted in no risk of groin-related complications as compared with traditional hip arthroscopy with a perineal post.
Kraeutler et al. (Mon,) studied this question.