Outcomes after hip arthroscopy in patients with workers' compensation claims

Patients with a workers' compensation claim have been shown to have inferior outcomes after various orthopedic procedures. In hip arthroscopy, good to excellent results have been shown in the athletic and prearthritic population in short-term and long-term follow-up. In the current study, the authors' hypothesis was that patients with a workers' compensation claim would have inferior outcomes after hip arthroscopy compared with patients without a workers' compensation claim. All patients with a workers' compensation claim who underwent hip arthroscopy over a 2-year period were studied. Postoperative functional outcomes were assessed with the Hip Outcome Score and modified Harris Hip Score. A cohort of 30 patients who did not have a workers' compensation claim was selected for comparison. Twenty-six patients were identified who had a workers' compensation claim and underwent hip arthroscopy performed by a single surgeon at the authors' institution with at least 6 months of follow-up. These patients were compared with 30 patients who did not have a workers' compensation claim. The workers' compensation group had a Hip Outcome Score of 66.5±28.8 and the non-workers' compensation group had a Hip Outcome Score of 89.4±12.0. This difference was statistically significant with Wilcoxon test (P=.003). The workers' compensation group had an average modified Harris Hip Score of 72.5±20.7 (mean±SD), and the non-workers' compensation group had a modified Harris Hip Score of 75.6±15.3. This difference was not significantly significant with Wilcoxon test (P=.9). At latest follow-up, 15 patients in the workers' compensation group (58%) were working. Patients returned to work an average of 6.8 months after surgery. The current study showed that postoperative functional outcomes in the workers' compensation group, as measured by Hip Outcome Score, were significantly inferior to those in the non-workers' compensation group. No statistical difference in postoperative modified Harris Hip Score was seen.