Return to Sports and Minimum 2-Year Outcomes of Bilateral Hip Arthroscopy in High-Level Athletes With a Propensity-Matched Benchmarking Against a Unilateral Control Group
Authors: Owens JS, Jimenez AE, Monahan PF, Maldonado DR, Kyin C, Saks BR, Ankem HK, Sabetian PW, Lall AC, Domb BG
DOI: 10.1177/03635465211043491
Background
There is limited literature evaluating outcomes after staged bilateral hip arthroscopy in competitive athletes. This study benchmarks these outcomes against unilateral procedures in matched high-level athletes.
Methods
High-level athletes undergoing staged bilateral hip arthroscopy for FAIS were compared to a propensity-matched cohort who underwent unilateral procedures. Return-to-sport (RTS) rates and patient-reported outcomes were assessed over at least 2 years.
Key Findings
- RTS rate for the bilateral group was 81.7%, with significant functional improvement.
- No significant differences in PROs or RTS were found when compared to the unilateral group.
Conclusions
Bilateral hip arthroscopy, when staged appropriately, is safe and effective in high-level athletes, offering comparable functional outcomes and RTS rates to unilateral surgery.
What Does This Mean for Providers?
- Bilateral pathology in athletes should not be a deterrent to surgical intervention; staged bilateral arthroscopy is a viable strategy.
- Providers can anticipate equivalent outcomes to unilateral cases in terms of return to sport and symptom resolution.
- Emphasis should be placed on proper staging and rehabilitation protocols to maintain high-level performance postoperatively.