Hip Arthroscopy for Atypical Posterior Hip Pain: A Comparative Matched-Pair Analysis
David M Levy1, Gregory L Cvetanovich1, Benjamin D Kuhns1
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine
|March 16, 2017
Summary
Hip arthroscopy effectively treats femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) regardless of pain location. Patients with atypical posterior hip pain experience outcomes similar to those with typical anterior groin pain after the procedure.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Sports medicine
- Hip joint biomechanics
Background:
- Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) commonly presents with anterior groin pain.
- Atypical presentations of FAI can include posterior hip or buttock pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare hip arthroscopy outcomes in FAI patients with atypical posterior pain versus those with typical anterior pain.
- Evaluate the efficacy of hip arthroscopy for FAI presenting with posterior pain.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study (Level of evidence, 3) compared 31 patients with atypical posterior FAI pain to 56 matched patients with typical anterior FAI pain.
- Patients underwent primary hip arthroscopy between 2012-2014.
- Outcomes assessed included VAS pain, mHHS, HOS-ADL, and HOS-SS at a minimum 2-year follow-up.
Main Results:
- Both atypical and typical groups showed significant postoperative improvements in mHHS, HOS-ADL, and HOS-SS.
- No significant differences were found in 2-year score improvements between the atypical and typical cohorts.
- Postoperative pain and patient satisfaction were comparable between the two groups.
Conclusions:
- Atypical posterior hip pain is an uncommon but treatable manifestation of FAI.
- Hip arthroscopy yields similar positive outcomes for patients with atypical posterior FAI pain as for those with classic anterior groin pain.
