Midterm Outcomes After Simultaneous Hip Arthroscopic Surgery for Bilateral Femoroacetabular Impingement

Bilateral hip arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has demonstrated good outcomes at short-term follow-up, with significant improvements in pain, hip function, and patient-reported outcomes, coupled with a complication rate similar to that of unilateral surgery.

To investigate whether, in patients with bilateral symptomatic FAI, simultaneous bilateral hip arthroscopic surgery is an efficacious option that produces effective midterm outcomes.

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

A prospective database of patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopic surgery between August 2012 and October 2020 was used to collect clinical data on 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of patients who underwent simultaneous bilateral hip arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of FAI. Group 2 represented a matched-pair control group of patients selected based on sex and age with signs and symptoms of unilateral FAI and in whom a single side was evaluated and treated. Differences in the International Hip Outcome Tool-12 and Non-Arthritic Hip Score scores were evaluated up to 5 years postoperatively.

In total, 171 patients (235 hips) were included, of whom 64 underwent simultaneous bilateral hip arthroscopic surgery (128 hips) and a control group of 107 patients (107 hips) underwent unilateral hip arthroscopic surgery. No significant differences were observed in International Hip Outcome Tool-12 scores between the 2 groups at 6 weeks, 3 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years postoperatively. No significant differences were observed in Non-Arthritic Hip Score scores between the simultaneous bilateral and control groups at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years postoperatively. Overall, 18% of hips in the simultaneous bilateral group reported lateral femoral cutaneous nerve palsy at 2-week follow-up in comparison to 16% of hips in the control group.

Simultaneous bilateral hip arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of FAI represents a safe treatment option, producing effective midterm outcomes in appropriately selected patients.