Sex-Based Differences in the Arthroscopic Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: 10-Year Outcomes With a Nested Propensity-Matched Comparison
Authors: Domb Benjamin G. , Kufta Allison Y. , Kingham Yasemin E. , Sabetian Payam W. , Harris W. Taylor , Perez-Padilla Paulo A. 
Published: January 2025

Background:

Sex has been associated with different pathologic characteristics in painful hips undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery.

Purpose:

To compare minimum 10-year patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and survivorship in patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral tears according to sex.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Data from patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopic surgery between March 2009 and May 2011 were reviewed. Patients with minimum 10-year PROs for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), Hip Outcome Score–Sports-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain were eligible. Exclusion criteria included previous ipsilateral hip conditions or surgical procedures, Tönnis grade >1, or dysplasia (lateral center-edge angle <25°). In the subanalysis, female patients were matched to male patients using a 1:1 ratio by age, sex, and body mass index.

Results:

A total of 375 hips had a minimum 10-year follow-up. There were 249 female (mean age, 36.8 ± 13.1 years) and 126 male (mean age, 38.9 ± 13.1 years) hips. Survivorship was defined as no conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Female and male hips exhibited similarly high rates of survivorship (80.3% vs 72.2%, respectively; P = .076). Female hips underwent secondary arthroscopic surgery at a statistically higher rate of 14.5% ( P = .021) and had higher rates of capsular repair and iliopsoas fractional lengthening ( P < .0001 and P < .001, respectively). Male hips had a significantly higher rate of acetabular labrum articular disruption/Outerbridge grade 3 and 4 damage at 54.0% compared with female hips (both P < .001) and underwent femoroplasty and acetabular microfracture at significantly higher rates of 88.1% versus 51.0%, respectively, and 16.7% versus 4.8%, respectively (both P < .001). In the subanalysis, both groups showed significant improvements in all PROs from baseline (all P < .001). Even though female patients demonstrated a higher rate of secondary arthroscopic surgery, they had a higher self-reported mean satisfaction score of 9.0 compared with 8.4 ( P = .003) and a greater magnitude of improvement in 10-year PROs (ΔmHHS: 29.3 ± 17.5 vs 23.1 ± 19.8, respectively [ P = .036]; ΔNAHS: 33.2 ± 21.3 vs 25.1 ± 19.5, respectively [ P = .012]; ΔHOS-SSS: 47.0 ± 32.0 vs 32.7 ± 31.9, respectively [ P = .008]; and ΔVAS: –4.6 ± 2.7 vs −3.5 ± 2.0, respectively [ P = .009]). However, all PROs at a minimum 10-year follow-up were similar between the groups.

Conclusion:

After undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, both female and male patients reported significant improvements in all PROs at a minimum 10-year follow-up and high patient satisfaction, with similar final functional scores. Even though female patients demonstrated a higher rate of secondary arthroscopic surgery, they had a higher satisfaction score and a greater magnitude of improvement in PROs postoperatively.