BACKGROUND

Many of the current rehabilitation programs for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy fail to consider the progression of soft tissue healing and inflammation that can be heightened due to aggressive therapy to the operative hip in the immediate postoperative period.

HYPOTHESIS

It was hypothesized that introducing conservative physical therapy (PT) preoperatively along with a slow progression to return to activity using a structured, patient-guided postoperative program would improve patient outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS

The authors conducted a retrospective review of patients who received a hip arthroscopy, were at least 18 years old, and who had completed the following patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at 1-year follow-up: modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Hip Outcome Score, Nonarthritic Hip Score, International Hip Outcome Tool-33, and Lower Extremity Functional Scale. Patients who underwent previous surgery on the ipsilateral hip and those with cartilage erosion down to exposed subchondral bone (Outerbridge grade 4) were excluded. Paired-samples tests were used to compare the change in PRO scores at 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year follow-up, and the percentage of patients who achieved minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and substantial clinical benefit (SCB) thresholds on the mHHS were stratified according to their Outerbridge grade (0-3).

RESULTS

Overall, 202 patients (53% female, 47% male) were included in the analysis. Significant improvement was seen from 3 to 6 months on all PRO measures and from 6 months to 1 year on all but the mHHS ( < .05 for all except the mHHS). A significantly smaller percentage of patients with Outerbridge grade 3 cartilage damage achieved the MCID and SCB on the mHHS compared with those with grade 0, both at 6 months (grade 3 vs 0: 20% vs 63.2% [MCID]; 18.0% vs 52.6% [SCB]; both = .03) and 1 year (grade 3 vs 0: 22.0% vs 57.9% [MCID]; 14.0% vs 52.6% [SCB]; both < .05).

CONCLUSION

A structured, patient-guided PT protocol after arthroscopic acetabular labral repair can significantly improve postoperative outcomes.