Abstract
Objectives:
Mid-term and long-term outcomes data on non-operative management of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome remains sparse despite expanding research on the topic. Our purpose is to present 5-year outcomes data utilizing a non-operative protocol on a consecutive series of patients with FAI syndrome.
Methods:
Between 2013 and 2016, patients were prospectively recruited in a non-operative FAI study. The protocol consisted of an initial trial of rest, physical therapy, and activity modification. Patients who remained symptomatic were offered an intra-articular steroid injection. Patients with recurrent symptoms were offered arthroscopic treatment. Patient-reported outcomes including the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and Non-arthritic Hip Score (NAHS) were collected 1-, 2-, and 5-years after enrollment. We present the 5-year data. Statistical analysis was performed to determine outcomes based on FAI type and treatment.
Results:
133 hips in 100 patients were enrolled. Sixty-seven hips in 50 patients were available for 5-year follow up. At enrollment, the mean mHHS and NAHS were 69.6±13.1 and 76.3±14.7 respectively. In total, 73% of the cohort was managed non-operatively. Of the 11 patients requiring surgery, six (55%) converted to surgery within one year of enrollment, 4 (36%) converted to surgery between one and 2 years, and one patient converted to surgery between 2 and 5 years. At final follow up, the mean mHHS and NAHS were 89.6±10.7 and 88.0±12.1 respectively. At 1-year follow up, only the activity modification group made a significant increase in mHHS and NAHS (p<0.03), by two year follow up, all three treatment groups had made statistically significant improvements in mHHS and NAHS (p<0.05), by 5-years follow up, the activity modification group and the scope group had maintained their statistically significant improvement in mHHS and NAHS (p<0.03). There was no significant difference in mHHS or NAHS between treatment groups at 5-year follow-up (p>0.4)(Table 1), and no difference in proportion of hips meeting the MCID for mHHS based on treatment course (p=0.961). There was no difference in mHHS or NAHS between FAI types at any time point (p>0.06)(Table 2), or in the proportion of hips that met MCID among FAI types (p=0.511). 72% of patients returned to the same or similar sport/activity level, and there was no difference in the proportion of patients that returned to sports/activities among treatment type (p=0.095) or FAI type (p=0.273).
Conclusions:
Non-operative management of FAI syndrome is effective in a majority of adolescent patients, with robust improvements in patient-reported-outcomes persisting at 5-year follow-up.