Factors Associated with Patient Satisfaction After Periacetabular Osteotomy

The periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) was developed to treat acetabular dysplasia and avoid the progression of osteoarthritis. Prior research has correlated demographic and radiographic variables with postoperative patient outcomes but with limited focus on patient expectations and correlation with satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to determine whether any such associations exist with the PAO.

An anonymous, de-identified satisfaction survey was applied to patients undergoing a PAO between April 2017 and April 2019. Forty patients (26 females) who underwent PAOs were included in the final analysis. The average age of the cohort was 22.0 ± 5.1 years of age. All patients had a minimum of 12 months of follow-up from the date of surgery. Patient demographics, diagnosis, and complications were recorded. Radiographs were then analyzed to determine pre- and postoperative lateral center edge angle (LCEA) and Tönnis roof angle, and correlations between satisfaction and radiographic analyses were performed. Statistical analysis included non-parametric Spearman's correlation and receiver operator characteristic. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Thirty (75%) patients were satisfied with their outcome. There were no statistically significant associations between patient age or sex and postoperative satisfaction (p > 0.05). The average LCEA was 10.9° ± 6.9° preoperatively and 26.0° ± 4.2° postoperatively with an average change of 15.1° ± 5.6°. The average Tönnis angle was 18.8° ± 3.3° preoperatively, decreasing to 11.6° ± 3.2° postoperatively with an average change of -7.2° ± 3.2°. Interobserver reliability was high, ranging from r = 0.782, p < 0.001 for postoperative Tönnis angle to r = 0.958, p < 0.001 for preoperative LCEA. Preoperative LCEA correlated positively with satisfaction, r = 0.351, p = 0.027. Logistic regression demonstrated that for every increasing degree of preoperative LCEA, odds of postoperative satisfaction increased by 1.13 (95% CI: 1.01 to 1.27), p = 0.034.

This study suggests that postoperative patient satisfaction after PAO may be associated with preoperative patient demographics such as LCEA. It also suggests that more dysplastic hips may have lower rates of postoperative satisfaction than patients with less severe deformity. These associations warrant further study, which may yield prognostic value for future surgery.