Midterm Outcomes Following Repair of Capsulotomy Versus Nonrepair in Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement With Labral Repair

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the midterm outcomes and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) rate in patients who had repair of the capsulotomy versus nonrepair following arthroscopic hip labral repair and correction of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Methods: All patients undergoing primary arthroscopic hip labral repair and correction of FAI between 2005 and 2012 were eligible for this study. Exclusion criteria were age < 18 years, lateral center-edge angle < 25 degrees, previous hip procedures, femoral avascular necrosis, radiographic joint space <= 2 mm, or microfracture at arthroscopy. Patients who did not have the capsulotomy repaired were matched 1:2 with patients who had the capsulotomy repaired. Patients were matched by age, gender, and intraoperative procedures. The primary outcome score was the Hip Outcome Score Daily Living (HOS-ADL). Results: Forty-two patients (18 female patients, 24 male patients) without repair of the capsulotomy were matched with 84 patients with repaired capsulotomy. The average age for both groups was 38 +/- 15 years. Patients in the nonrepair group were 6.8 (95% confidence interval, 1.2-52) times more likely to undergo THA compared with the repair group. There was no difference in revision rate between the 2 groups. The mean follow-up time was 7.3 +/- 2.7 years and 6.4 +/- 2.3 years for the nonrepair and repair group, respectively (P = .107). Patients in the repair group had significantly higher HOS-ADL (P = .01) and modified Harris hip score (mHHS; P = .007). The percentage of patients who reached minimum clinically important difference was significantly higher in the repair group for HOS-ADL (P = .002) and HOS-Sport (P = .036) compared with the nonrepair group. However, there was no difference in the percentage of patients who reached minimal important change for the mHHS (P = .060). Following hip arthroscopy, the average alpha angle was 41.6 degrees +/- 6 degrees in the nonrepair group and 40.8 degrees +/- 3 degrees in the repair group. Conclusions: Patients who undergo arthroscopic FAI correction and hip labral repair with repair of the capsulotomy had higher HOS-ADL and mHHS scores at midterm follow-up compared with patients with nonrepair, and the percentage of patients who reached the minimum clinically important difference was significantly higher in the repair group for HOS-ADL and HOS-Sport compared with the nonrepair group. In addition, a lower rate of conversion to THA was seen in the repair group.