Prognosis Following Hip Arthroscopy Varies in Professional Athletes Based on Sport

To evaluate return to play (RTP) and performance-based outcomes in professional athletes across 4 major North American team sports following hip arthroscopy.

Professional athletes of the National Football League, Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association, and National Hockey League (NHL) who underwent hip arthroscopy were identified using an established protocol of public reports. Sport-specific statistics were collected before and after hip arthroscopy for each athlete, leading to a performance score. RTP was defined as the first regular or postseason game played following surgery.

A total of 151 arthroscopic hip procedures were performed on 131 professional athletes. The overall RTP rate after arthroscopic hip surgery was found to be 88.7% (134 of 151 arthroscopic hip surgeries), with no significant difference between sports. The median number of seasons played after hip arthroscopy were 2.7, 2.3, 1.1, and 0.9 for the National Football League, National Basketball Association, MLB, and NHL cohorts, respectively, with no significant difference between sports. MLB and NHL cohorts experienced a decrease in games played in the first season following hip arthroscopy (P = .04, P = .01), whereas NHL players also experienced a decrease in games played in seasons 2 and 3 postoperatively (P = .001). Performance scores decreased in the NHL cohort for all seasons postoperatively (P < .001, P = .003). No other statistically significant differences were found when comparing players of different sports.

Although professional athletes demonstrate a high rate of RTP following hip arthroscopy across the 4 major North American team sports, hockey players demonstrate the worst prognosis following hip arthroscopy, with sustained decreases in games played and performance in the first 3 seasons postoperatively.

Level III, retrospective comparative therapeutic trial.