Preliminary Outcomes of Hip Arthroscopy in the Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement with Early Stage Osteoarthritis

Introduction: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has been recognized as a risk factor of osteoarthrosis that causes a painful joint and decreased range of motion. Arthroscopic procedures were used for the treatment of FAI with satisfactory outcomes. However, the outcomes of arthroscopic treatment after arthritic findings have been shown to be unsatisfactory. There are only limited studies focusing on the effect of arthroscopic treatment of FAI on the setting of arthrosis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the early results of arthroscopic treatment in patients with FAI and osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: We retrospectively identified 17 consecutive patients with FAI and Tonnis grade 1 or 2 OA of the hip who had undergone hip arthroscopy and had a follow-up period of at least one year. The arthroscopic procedures included femoral osteoplasty, acetabular rim trimming, labral repair, labral debridement, microfracture and debridement of the ligamentum teres. The Tonnis grading was used in this study for the assessment and grading of OA. Functional outcomes were measured by Harris Hip score (HHS), Hip Outcome Score (HOS) and Short Form 12. Results: At the last follow up, the mean HHS and HOS increased from 53.2 and 65.3 to 82.4 and 88.1, respectively. In total, 16 of 17 (94%) patients reported that they were satisfied with the outcome of the surgery. One patient reported that the symptoms relieved for 6 months, but returned. He was offered arthroplasty but he refused. Conclusion: In the current study, it was observed that arthroscopic treatment could help to relieve patient symptoms in early stage OA with FAI.