Results of treatment of femoroacetabular impingement in adolescents with a surgical hip dislocation approach.

BACKGROUND: The literature contains few studies of open treatment with an open surgical hip dislocation approach for treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in adolescents. The average age and associated disorders in adolescents with FAI reveal a critical need to study younger patients whose hip disorder has not had time to progress.

QUESTIONS: We assessed (1) how validated measures of patient-oriented assessment of hip function and quality of life change after surgical hip dislocation; (2) whether any patient-related or technique variables correlated with changes in the outcome scores; and (3) what the complications of treatment are and how many reoperations we performed on these patients.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of 71 hips in adolescents younger than 21 years who underwent surgical hip dislocation for FAI. The final cohort consisted of 44 patients (52 hips) with a mean age of 16 years. We analyzed changes in outcome variables after surgical hip dislocation and recorded reoperations during the study period.

RESULTS: The minimum followup was 12 months (average, 27 months; range, 12-60 months). Modified Harris hip scores increased from a mean of 57.7 preoperatively to a mean of 85.8 postoperatively. Mean SF-12 scores increased from 42.3 to 50.6. Mean preoperative hip flexion increased from 97.5° to 106.2°. Mean internal rotation of the affected hip at 90° flexion increased from 18.19° to 34°.

CONCLUSIONS: Early results revealed improvements in hip function, patient quality of life, and ROM after surgical hip dislocation for the majority of this group of adolescents with FAI. However, 10% of the patients did not improve, and an additional 15% improved but still did not consider their hips good or excellent. This points toward the need for further studies in this population of patients.