Physical Therapy Protocol After Hip Arthroscopy: Clinical Guidelines Supported by 2-Year Outcomes
Abstract
Context: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) was first described by Ganz in 2003 and is a significant cause of decreased function and mobility. Femoroacetabular impingement must be treated in an individualized, goal-oriented, stepwise fashion. This protocol was developed with biomechanical considerations of soft tissue and bony structures surrounding the hip joint.
Evidence acquisition: The PubMed database was searched for scientific and review articles from the years 2000 to 2015 utilizing the search terms: hip rehabilitation, femoroacetabular impingement, and arthroscopy.
Study design: Clinical review.
Level of evidence: Level 5.
Results: Five hundred ninety-five of 738 patients were available for follow-up showing improvement from preoperative to 2-year follow-up of 61.29 to 82.02 for modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), 62.79 to 83.04 for Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), 40.96 to 70.07 for Hip Outcome Score-Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), and 57.97 to 80.41 for Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS); visual analog scale (VAS) scores decreased from 5.86 preoperatively to 2.94 postoperatively.
Conclusion: Following a structured, criteria-based program, appropriate patients undergoing hip arthroscopy may achieve excellent outcomes and return to full independent activities of daily living as well as sport.