Postoperative Noncompliance in the Early Postoperative Period Is a Strong Negative Predictor of Patient-Reported...

Existing literature supports weight-bearing and activity restriction following hip arthroscopy, as well as early participation in physical therapy. However, there is a knowledge gap surrounding how failure to adhere to these instructions affects long-term outcomes. This study aims to evaluate how noncompliance with postoperative protocol after hip arthroscopy affects patient-reported outcomes at 2 years after surgery.

Seventy-nine patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement between January and December 2022 were identified, with 52 in the compliant group and 27 in the noncompliant group. Patient noncompliance was defined as loss to follow-up (n = 4), delayed or lack of physical therapy (n = 12), and nonadherence to weight-bearing and activity restrictions (n = 17) within 3 months following surgery. Symptom and functional status were assessed at 2 years with the international Hip Outcomes Tool (iHOT-12), the Physical Function Short Form of the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS-PS), and the single-item patient-acceptable symptom state.

The average iHOT and HOOS-PS scores were lower for noncompliant patients (iHOT, 50.67; SD, 28.9; HOOS-PS, 60.9; SD, 23.8) compared with compliant patients (iHOT, 71.95; SD, 26.8; P = 0.002; HOOS-PS, 79.0; SD, 23.0; P = 0.002). Noncompliant patients had lower rates of reaching Patient Acceptable Symptom State at 2 years (compliant: 69%, noncompliant: 37%; OR = 3.86; 95% CI [1.42, 10.0] 0.006). Multivariate analysis revealed independent predictors of lower iHOT scores were history of a mental health disorder (-12.0 points SD, 2.9; P = 0.001) and noncompliance (-8.6 points SD, 3.0; P = 0.01). No baseline demographic differences were identified between compliant and noncompliant patients.

Noncompliance with functional restrictions and postoperative physical therapy is a strong independent risk factor for poor patient-reported outcomes at 2 years after hip arthroscopy.