Response to Hip Arthroscopy Successfully Treats Femoroacetabular Impingement in Adolescent Athletes
Authors: Litrenta J, Mu BH, Ortiz-Declet V, Chen AW, Perets I, Wojnowski NM, Domb BG
DOI: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000001596
Background
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is increasingly recognized in adolescent athletes, often requiring surgical correction. A key concern in skeletally immature patients is the potential regrowth of cam lesions following femoral osteoplasty due to open physes.
Methods
This paper responds to a prior commentary questioning cam lesion recurrence. It evaluates 11 adolescent athletes with open femoral physes who underwent arthroscopic treatment for FAI, with a minimum 2-year follow-up.
Key Findings
- No evidence of cam regrowth was observed in this cohort.
- All patients maintained symptom relief and functional improvements at short-term follow-up.
- These outcomes challenge earlier reports suggesting a high risk of recurrence in this population.
Conclusions
Hip arthroscopy with femoral osteoplasty appears to be a viable and safe option for managing FAI in adolescent athletes, even in the presence of open growth plates.
What Does This Mean for Providers?
Providers can consider arthroscopic intervention for adolescent athletes with FAI without a high concern for cam lesion recurrence in the short term. This supports the viability of hip preservation surgery in skeletally immature patients, although continued long-term surveillance is warranted.