Response to Hip Arthroscopy Successfully Treats Femoroacetabular Impingement in Adolescent Athletes

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 a common hip condition among adolescent athletes that can cause pain and limit athletic performance. Hip arthroscopy is an effective surgical treatment for FAI, but there are concerns regarding the long-term success, particularly in young, skeletally immature patients.

Methods

This article provides a response to a commentary on a previous publication about the treatment of FAI in adolescents. It discusses the potential for cam lesions to regrow after femoral osteoplasty (reshaping of the femur) in adolescents with open femoral growth plates (physes).

Key Findings

In the authors' experience, none of the 11 adolescent patients studied, who had open femoral physes, showed cam lesion regrowth after 2 years. This finding contrasts with some previous reports and suggests that hip arthroscopy can be effective in treating adolescent FAI without the risk of cam regrowth.

Conclusions

Hip arthroscopy for FAI is a successful treatment for adolescent athletes, and the risk of cam lesion regrowth appears to be low in the short term, even in patients with open physes.

What Does This Mean for Patients

If you're an adolescent athlete considering hip arthroscopy for FAI, the procedure can offer long-term benefits without a high risk of lesion recurrence.