Hip arthroscopy in Sweden: a nationwide registry study of socioeconomic characteristics, regional variation, and sick leave patterns

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Clinical outcomes are well described after hip arthroscopy (HA), but less is known about the demographic, socioeconomic, and work-related characteristics of individuals undergoing the procedure at a population level. We aimed to describe demographic, socioeconomic, and regional characteristics of individuals undergoing HA in Sweden based on nationwide registry data compared with an age- and sex-matched reference population, and to describe regional variation in the annual incidence of HA using nationwide registry data. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide descriptive registry study including all individuals aged 18-65 years who underwent HA in Sweden between 2006 and 2018. Each individual was matched by sex and year of birth to 5 reference individuals from the general population. National registers provided information on demographics, region of residence, education, citizenship, employment status, income, and compensated sick leave. RESULTS: The study included 4,633 individuals undergoing HA and 23,060 matched reference individuals. Mean age was 36 years, and 3,019/4,633 (65%) were men. Residence-based HA incidence was highest in metropolitan and nearby counties. Individuals undergoing HA more often had post-secondary education (1,874/4,633 [40%] vs 8,003/23,060 [35%]), employment before surgery (4,299/4,633 [93%] vs 19,267/23,060 [84%]), and high-income levels (1,996/4,633 [43%] vs 7,358/23,060 [32%]) than the reference population. Compensated sick leave was more common among individuals undergoing HA both before surgery (741/4,633 [16%] vs 1,614/23,060 [7%]) and during the year after surgery (1,436/4,633 [31%] vs 1,845/23,060 [8%]). CONCLUSION: Individuals undergoing HA were more often employed and belonged to higher-income groups than a matched reference population. HA incidence varied substantially between regions, and individuals undergoing HA demonstrated higher levels of compensated sick leave both before and after surgery.