Predictors of Hip Pain and Function in Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Prospective Cohort Analysis

Validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) of hip pain and function at the time of arthroscopy could be predictors of the final outcome. Little is known about how patient factors or pathologic intra-articular findings relate to hip pain or function at the time of surgery for those presenting with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI).

To evaluate all patient and operative factors that contribute to hip pain and dysfunction in patients with FAI.

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

A prospective cohort of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI were electronically enrolled between February 2015 and September 2016. Baseline PROMs were collected, including Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) for pain, HOOS-Physical Function Shortform (HOOS-PS), Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12), and University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Activity Score. Surgeons documented intra-articular operative findings and treatment. Multivariable linear regression models were created for continuous scores of HOOS pain, HOOS-PS, and VR-12 Physical Component Score as outcome measures. Risk factors included patient characteristics and intraoperative anatomic and pathologic findings.

During the study period, 396 patients underwent arthroscopic hip procedures, and 373 (94%) completed preoperative PROMs; 331 patients were undergoing arthroscopic surgery for FAI. The mean patient age was 32.91 ± 12.49 years, mean body mass index was 26.22 ± 4.92 kg/m², and 71% were female. Multivariate analyses demonstrated female sex, lower education levels, smoking, lower mental health scores, and lower activity-level scores predicted HOOS pain preoperatively. According to multivariate analysis, patient factors associated with worse baseline HOOS-PS include smoking, additional years of education, lower mental health, and activity scores. Lower baseline VR-12 functional scores were predicted by female sex, elevated body mass index, smoking, and lower activity levels. For all baseline PROMs, there was no instance where an arthroscopic variable or pathologic finding proved statistically significant after the important patient covariates were controlled for.

Patient factors, including mental health, activity level, sex, and smoking, are more predictive of baseline hip pain (as measured by HOOS) and function than are intra-articular findings (eg, status of the labrum or articular cartilage) during hip arthroscopy for FAI. Future studies evaluating patient outcomes after surgery for FAI should consider adjusting for these identified patient factors to accurately interpret the effect of treatment on patient-reported outcomes after surgery.