Nonoperative Management of Femoroacetabular Impingement: Clinical Outcomes at 5-Years--A Prospective Study (143)

Objectives: Mid-term and long-term outcomes data on non-operative management of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome remains sparse despite expanding research on the topic. Our purpose is to present 5-year outcomes data utilizing a non-operative protocol on a consecutive series of patients with FAI syndrome. Methods: Between 2013 and 2016, patients were prospectively recruited in a non-operative FAI study. The protocol consisted of an initial trial of rest, physical therapy, and activity modification. Patients who remained symptomatic were offered an intra-articular steroid injection. Patients with recurrent symptoms were offered arthroscopic treatment. Patient-reported outcomes including the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and Non-arthritic Hip Score (NAHS) were collected 1-, 2-, and 5-years after enrollment. We present the 5-year data. Statistical analysis was performed to determine outcomes based on FAI type and treatment. Results: 133 hips in 100 patients were enrolled. Sixty-seven hips in 50 patients were available for 5-year follow up. At enrollment, the mean mHHS and NAHS were 69.6±13.1 and 76.3±14.7 respectively. In total, 73% of the cohort was managed non-operatively. Of the 11 patients requiring surgery, six (55%) converted to surgery within one year of enrollment, 4 (36%) converted to surgery between one and 2 years, and one patient converted to surgery between 2 and 5 years. At final follow up, the mean mHHS and NAHS were 89.6±10.7 and 88.0±12.1 respectively. At 1-year follow up, only the activity modification group made a significant increase in mHHS and NAHS (p<0.03), by two year follow up, all three treatment groups had made statistically significant improvements in mHHS and NAHS (p<0.05), by 5-years follow up, the activity modification group and the scope group had maintained their statistically significant improvement in mHHS and NAHS (p<0.03). There was no significant difference in mHHS or NAHS between treatment groups at 5-year follow-up (p>0.4)(Table 1), and no difference in proportion of hips meeting the MCID for mHHS based on treatment course (p=0.961). There was no difference in mHHS or NAHS between FAI types at any time point (p>0.06)(Table 2), or in the proportion of hips that met MCID among FAI types (p=0.511). 72% of patients returned to the same or similar sport/activity level, and there was no difference in the proportion of patients that returned to sports/activities among treatment type (p=0.095) or FAI type (p=0.273). Conclusions: Non-operative management of FAI syndrome is effective in a majority of adolescent patients, with robust improvements in patient-reported-outcomes persisting at 5-year follow-up.

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral injuries: grading the evidence on diagnosis and non-operative treatment—a statement paper commissioned by the Danish Society of Sports Physical Therapy (DSSF)

This statement summarises and appraises the evidence on diagnostic tests and clinical information, and non-operative treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome and labral injuries. We included studies based on the highest available level of evidence as judged by study design. We evaluated the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation framework. We found 29 studies reporting 23 clinical tests and 14 different forms of clinical information, respectively. Restricted internal hip rotation in 0° hip flexion with or without pain was best to rule in FAI syndrome (low diagnostic effectiveness; low quality of evidence; interpretation of evidence: may increase post-test probability slightly), whereas no pain in Flexion Adduction Internal Rotation test or no restricted range of motion in Flexion Abduction External Rotation test compared with the unaffected side were best to rule out (very low to high diagnostic effectiveness; very low to moderate quality of evidence; interpretation of evidence: very uncertain, but may reduce post-test probability slightly). No forms of clinical information were found useful for diagnosis. For treatment of FAI syndrome, 14 randomised controlled trials were found. Prescribed physiotherapy, consisting of hip strengthening, hip joint manual therapy techniques, functional activity-specific retraining and education showed a small to medium effect size compared with a combination of passive modalities, stretching and advice (very low to low quality of evidence; interpretation of evidence: very uncertain, but may slightly improve outcomes). Prescribed physiotherapy was, however, inferior to hip arthroscopy (small effect size; moderate quality of evidence; interpretation of evidence: hip arthroscopy probably increases outcome slightly). For both domains, the overall quality of evidence ranged from very low to moderate indicating that future research on diagnosis and treatment may alter the conclusions from this review.

Muscle and Hip Contact Forces in Asymptomatic Men With Cam Morphology During Deep Squat

Cam morphology is defined as an aspherical femoral head-neck junction that causes abnormal contact of the acetabular rim with the anterior hip. Imaging confirmation of the cam morphology, associated with clinical signs and pain in the hip or groin, is characterized as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome. Although some individuals with cam morphology do not experience any symptoms, sparse studies have been done on these individuals. Understanding the way asymptomatic individuals generate muscle forces may help us to better explain the progression of the degenerative FAI process and discover better ways in preventing the onset or worsening of symptoms. The purpose of this study was to compare the muscle and hip contact forces of asymptomatic cam morphology (ACM) and FAI syndrome men compared to cam-free healthy controls during a deep squat task. This prospective study compared 39 participants, with 13 in each group (ACM, FAI, and control). Five deep squatting trials were performed at a self-selected pace while joint trajectories and ground reaction forces were recorded. A generic model was scaled for each participant, and inverse kinematics and inverse dynamics calculated joint angles and moments, respectively. Muscle and hip contact forces were estimated using static optimization. All variables were time normalized in percentage by the total squat cycle and both muscle forces and hip contact forces were normalized by body weight. Statistical non-parametric mapping analyses were used to compare the groups. The ACM group showed increased pelvic tilt and hip flexion angles compared to the FAI group during the descent and ascent phases of the squat cycle. Muscle forces were greater in the ACM and control groups, compared to the FAI group for the psoas and semimembranosus muscles. Biceps femoris muscle force was lower in the ACM group compared to the FAI group. The FAI group had lower posterior hip contact force compared to both the control and ACM groups. Muscle contraction strategy was different in the FAI group compared to the ACM and control groups, which caused different muscle force applications during hip extension. These results rebut the concept that mobility restrictions are solely caused by the presence of the cam morphology and propose evidence that symptoms and muscle contraction strategy can be the origin of the mobility restriction in male patients with FAI.

Nonoperative Management of Femoroacetabular Impingement in Adolescents: Clinical Outcomes at a Mean of 5 Years: A Prospective Study

Background: There is a lack of midterm or long-term outcome data on nonoperative management of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome in adolescents despite expanding research mostly focused on arthroscopic management. Purpose: To present 5-year outcome data utilizing a nonoperative protocol on a consecutive series of patients presenting to our clinic with FAI syndrome. Study Design: Cohort study, Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A total of 100 patients (62% female; mean age 15 years) who presented to the clinic for evaluation of hip pain and had at least 1 hip with a positive impingement sign were prospectively recruited. The management protocol consisted of an initial trial of rest, physical therapy, and activity modification. Patients who remained symptomatic were offered an intra-articular steroid injection. Patients with recurrent symptoms were then offered arthroscopic treatment. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and the Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS) were then collected at a mean 1, 2, and 5 years after the initial evaluation. Results: At enrollment, the mean mHHS and NAHS were 69.6 ± 12.9 and 75.5 ± 15.2, respectively. A total of 51 patients (n = 69 hips) were available at a mean 5-year follow-up, with the mean mHHS and NAHS of 89.5 ± 10.8 and 88.1 ± 12, respectively. There was no significant difference in the mHHS or the NAHS between activity modification and physical therapy, injection, or arthroscopic surgery groups at 5-year follow-up ( P > .6) and no difference in the proportion of hips meeting the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the mHHS based on treatment course ( P = .99). There was no significant difference in the mHHS or the NAHS between FAI types at any time point, or in the proportion of hips that met the MCID among FAI types ( P = .64). Also, 11 out of 12 hips that required surgery had surgery in less than 2 years. One hip underwent surgery at 5 years after the initial visit. There was no significant drop-off in the mHHS or the NAHS between the 2-year and 5-year time periods ( P > .3). Conclusion: Nonoperative management of FAI syndrome is effective in a majority of adolescent patients, with significant improvements in PROs persisting at a mean 5-year follow-up.

The Key Parts of Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: Implications for the Learning Curve

Background: Hip arthroscopy is a rapidly growing surgical approach to treat femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome with a significant learning curve pertaining to complication risk, reoperation rate, and total hip arthroplasty conversion. Hip arthroscopy is more frequently being taught in residency and fellowship training. The key, or critical, parts of the technique have not yet been defined. Purpose: To identify the key components required to perform arthroscopic treatment of FAI syndrome. Study Design: Consensus statement. Methods: A 3-question survey comprising questions on hip arthroscopy for FAI was sent to a convenience sample of 101 high-volume arthroscopic hip surgeons in the United States. Surgeon career length (years) and maintenance volume (cases per year) were queried. Hip arthroscopy was divided into 10 steps using a Delphi technique to achieve a convergence of expert opinion. A step was considered “key” if it could (1) avoid complications, (2) reduce risk of revision arthroscopy, (3) reduce risk of total hip arthroplasty conversion, or (4) optimize patient-reported outcomes. Based on previous literature, steps with >90% of participants were defined as key. Descriptive and correlation statistics were calculated. Results: A total of 64 surgeons (63% response rate) reported 5.6 ± 2.1 steps as key (median, 6; range, 1-9). Most surgeons (56.3%) had been performing hip arthroscopy for >5 years. Most surgeons (71.9%) had performed >100 hip arthroscopy procedures per year. Labral treatment (97% agreement) and cam correction (91% agreement) were the 2 key steps of hip arthroscopy for FAI. Pincer/subspine correction (86% agreement), dynamic examination before capsular closure (63% agreement), and capsular management/closure (63% agreement) were selected by a majority of respondents but did not meet the study definition of key. There was no significant correlation between surgeon experience and designation of certain steps as key. Conclusion: Based on a Delphi technique and expert opinion survey of high-volume surgeons, labral treatment and cam correction are the 2 key parts of hip arthroscopy for FAI syndrome.

Arthroscopic acetabular labral reconstruction: a review

The function and importance of the acetabular labrum in hip biomechanics have been determined. A labral tear is one of the most common findings in the hip preservation field, commonly associated with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome. It has been established that the restoration of labral anatomy and function are key factors to improve patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs) and psychometric tools following arthroscopic hip arthroscopy in the context of FAI syndrome. Labral repair or refixation is currently the gold-standard surgical option when facing labral tears, with clinical mid to long-term data supporting its use. Labral selective debridement has proven to be a valid alternative in selective patients. Acetabular labral reconstruction has risen as an alternative to labral excision or resection when repair is not an option due to labral tissue deficiency. Restoring the labral sealing mechanism is the goal behind the acetabular labral reconstruction. It has been proven that labral reconstruction leads to superior PROMs when compared with resection. This review presents an analysis of the indications, techniques, and outcomes for arthroscopic acetabular labral reconstruction.

Physiotherapist-led treatment for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (the PhysioFIRST study): a protocol for a participant and assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial

IntroductionThis double-blind, randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to estimate the effect of a physiotherapist-led intervention with targeted strengthening compared with a physiotherapist-led intervention with standardised stretching, on hip-related quality of life (QOL) or perceived improvement at 6 months in people with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome. We hypothesise that at 6 months, targeted strengthening physiotherapist-led treatment will be associated with greater improvements in hip-related QOL or greater patient-perceived global improvement when compared with standardised stretching physiotherapist-led treatment.Methods and analysisWe will recruit 164 participants with FAI syndrome who will be randomised into one of the two intervention groups, both receiving one-on-one treatment with the physiotherapist over 6 months. The targeted strengthening physiotherapist-led treatment group will receive a personalised exercise therapy and education programme. The standardised stretching physiotherapist-led treatment group will receive standardised stretching and personalised education programme. Primary outcomes are change in hip-related QOL using International Hip Outcome Tool-33 and patient-perceived global improvement. Secondary outcomes include cost-effectiveness, muscle strength, range of motion, functional task performance, biomechanics, hip cartilage structure and physical activity levels. Statistical analyses will make comparisons between both treatment groups by intention to treat, with all randomised participants included in analyses, regardless of protocol adherence. Linear mixed models (with baseline value as a covariate and treatment condition as a fixed factor) will be used to evaluate the treatment effect and 95% CI at primary end-point (6 months).Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol was approved (La Trobe University Human Ethics Committee (HEC17-080)) and prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. The findings of this RCT will be disseminated through peer reviewed scientific journals and conferences. Patients were involved in study development and will receive a short summary following the completion of the RCT.Trial registration numberACTRN12617001350314