CORR Insights^®: What Factors Predict Conversion to THA After Arthroscopy?

Excerpt

Hip arthroscopy is being used with increasing frequency in adults, growing by 600% in American Board of Surgery Part II examinees between 2006 and 2010 [3]. At least part of this enthusiasm for hip arthroscopy is driven by early reports demonstrating high levels of return to sport, low complication rates, and rare THA conversion in high-level and professional athletes who underwent arthroscopic surgery for labral injuries and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) [4, 13]. But as the indications for hip arthroscopy broadened, the frequency of THA conversion increased [1, 17]. In fact, a recent population-based study reported that 12% of hips treated arthroscopically underwent conversion to THA at 2-year followup [15]. A systematic review of more than 6000 hip arthroscopies undertaken primarily for labral repair and FAI correction also found that nearly 3% underwent THA conversion at a mean of 16 months [8]. Long-term studies found even more sobering results than the early short-term studies of high-level athletes. The 10-year THA-free survivorship was 63% in a cohort of 340 hip arthroscopy patients [9]. …