Abstract
Aim
The aim of this study was to assess the role of hip arthroscopy in the management of hip pain in elite athletes.
Patients and methods
It is a retrospective study of prospectively collected data. 31 hip arthroscopies were performed on 27 elite athletes. All the patients were assessed pre-operatively with a thorough clinical examination, radiographs and MRI scans. The modified HHS was also recorded for all the patients' pre and post-operatively. All operations were performed by the senior author, and the patients were assessed at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and a year following the operation.
Results
The M:F ratio was 25:2 with an average age of 38 years (Range: 18-58) in the study group. 65% of the patients were professional football players followed by cricket and tennis. The patients were referred at an average of 506 days. Two of the 27 patients demonstrated minimal acetabular dysplasia on their pre-operative radiographs. Of the 31 arthroscopies, a primary diagnosis of a labral tear was made in 20, a chondral flap and delamination in 5, early osteoarthritis in 4 and a ligamentum teres tear in 2. Along with the primary diagnosis of a labral tear, twelve of the 20 patients had a secondary diagnosis of chondral injury and or Femeroacetabular Impingement as well. There were no complications reported.
Conclusions
Hip Injuries in athletes are reported late and Chondral Flaps and Ligamentum teres tears are under-diagnosed. Most athletes have a good chance to return back to the original level of sport within 4 months following hip arthroscopy. However, about 40% do continue to have some form of pain. Hip arthroscopy is a safe and effective method for diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular disorders in elite athletes.
