Return to Sport After Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty
Kyle W Morse1, Ajay Premkumar1, Andrew Zhu1
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA.
Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine
|May 17, 2021
Summary
Hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA) allows elite athletes with hip osteoarthritis (OA) to return to professional sports. Most athletes in this study returned to play at pre-surgery performance levels, demonstrating HRA
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Sports medicine
- Rehabilitative medicine
Background:
- Femoroacetabular impingement and hip osteoarthritis (OA) commonly affect athletes.
- Hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA) is a treatment option for end-stage hip OA in active individuals.
- Limited data exists on professional athletes returning to sport after HRA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the return-to-sport outcomes for elite athletes undergoing HRA.
- To hypothesize that professional athletes can return to high-level sports post-HRA.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series of 8 professional athletes undergoing HRA (2007-2017).
- All surgeries performed by a single surgeon using a posterolateral approach.
- Return to play and performance statistics analyzed via self-reported and public data, compared to pre-operative and matched cohorts.
Main Results:
- All 8 athletes returned to their respective sports.
- 75% (6/8) returned for at least one full professional season.
- No significant difference in performance metrics compared to pre-operative or matched cohorts.
Conclusions:
- HRA is a viable surgical option for young, active athletes with end-stage hip OA.
- Return to elite-level sporting activity is achievable after HRA.
- HRA can successfully manage pain and improve quality of life for athletes.
