Functional Outcome Scores and Conversion to Total Hip Arthroplasty After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome in Patients With Tönnis Grade 1 Versus Grade 0 Arthritis: A Propensity-Matched Study at Minimum 10-Year Follow-up
Authors: Fenn Thomas W. , Kaplan Daniel J. , Brusalis Christopher M. , Chapman Reagan S. , Larson Jordan H. , Nho Shane J. 
Published: January 2024

Background:

Hip arthroscopy has become the mainstay surgical intervention for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). However, postoperative outcomes and rates of secondary surgery are mixed in patients with differing levels of preoperative osteoarthritis (OA). Furthermore, there is a paucity of literature comparing patients with and without OA at long-term follow-up.

Purpose:

To compare outcomes and rates of secondary surgery at minimum 10-year follow-up, including revision hip arthroscopy and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA), in patients with Tönnis grade 1 undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAIS compared with a propensity-matched control group of patients with Tönnis grade 0.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS between January 2012 and February 2013 were identified. Patients with Tönnis grade 1 were propensity matched in a 1:2 ratio by age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) to patients with Tönnis grade 0. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were collected at varying timepoints including preoperatively and 1, 2, 5, and 10 years postoperatively and compared between the 2 cohorts. Rates of minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) achievement at 10 years were evaluated and compared between groups. Rates of secondary surgery including revision hip arthroscopy and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) were evaluated. Gross survivorship between cohorts was evaluated using a Kaplan-Meier gross survivorship curve. A subanalysis was performed comparing patients with Tönnis grade 1 who converted to THA and those who did not.

Results:

A total of 31 patients with Tönnis grade 1 (age, 42.6 ± 9.0 years; BMI, 28.0 ± 6.3) were successfully matched to 62 patients with Tönnis grade 0 (age, 42.1 ± 8.5, P = .805; BMI, 26.1 ± 3.9, P = .117). Both the Tönnis grade 1 and Tönnis grade 0 groups demonstrated significant improvements regarding all PROs at minimum 10 years ( P < .05 for all), except for the Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living subscale (HOS-ADL) ( P = .066) in the Tönnis grade 1 cohort. No significant difference ( P > .05 for all) was noted between cohorts regarding any 10-year PRO. When the authors evaluated comparisons between preoperative and 1-, 2-, 5-, and 10-year PRO measures, significant differences were noted between cohorts regarding 2-year HOS-ADL ( P = .021), Hip Outcome Score Sports-Specific subscale ( P = .016), and modified Harris Hip Score ( P = .026); otherwise, differences did not reach significance. High rates of 10-year MCID and PASS achievement were seen, with no significant differences between groups. Patients with Tönnis grade 1 had significantly higher rates of conversion to THA compared with patients who had Tönnis grade 0 (25.8% vs 4.8%; P = .006). Patients with Tönnis grade 1 had significantly lower gross survivorship compared with those who had Tönnis grade 0 (71.0% vs 85.5%, respectively; P = .04).

Conclusion:

Hip arthroscopy confers comparable postoperative clinical improvements to patients who have FAIS with and without mild OA; however, the benefits among patients with mild OA may be less durable. Patients with Tönnis grade 1 had significantly higher conversion to THA and reduced gross survivorship compared with patients with no evidence of preoperative OA, suggesting that patients with evidence of OA may need to be cautioned on the higher rate of conversion surgery.