Modern Hip Arthroscopy for FAIS May Delay the Natural History of Osteoarthritis in 25% of Patients: A 12-Year Follow-up Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effect of modern hip arthroscopy on the natural history of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) with respect to joint preservation. PURPOSE: To (1) characterize the natural history of FAIS and (2) understand the effect of modern hip arthroscopy by radiographically comparing the hips of patients who underwent only unilateral primary hip arthroscopy with a minimum follow-up of 10 years. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2012, 619 consecutive patients were reviewed from the practice of a single fellowship-trained hip arthroscopic surgeon. Inclusion criteria were FAIS, bilateral radiographic findings of femoroacetabular impingement, primary unilateral hip arthroscopy (labral repair, femoroplasty, or capsular closure), and minimum 10-year follow-up. The preoperative and minimum 10-year postoperative radiographs of patients were evaluated at each time point. Both operative and nonoperative hips were graded using the Tönnis classification or the presence of hip arthroplasty by 2 independent reviewers. Subgroup analyses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 200 hips from 100 patients were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 12.0 years. Preoperatively, 98% and 99% of operative and nonoperative hips were evaluated as Tönnis grades 0 and 1, respectively; 5% of nonoperative hips had worse Tönnis grades than operative hips. The nonoperative hip advanced to a worse Tönnis grade in 48% (48/100) of cases compared with 28% (28/100) among operative hips. At follow-up, Tönnis grades between hips were equal in 70% (70/100) of the cases, the operative hip had a better grade 25% (25/100) of the time, and the nonoperative hip had a better grade 5% (5/100) of the time. Modern hip arthroscopy was associated with a relative risk reduction of 42% in osteoarthritis progression. Impingement with borderline dysplasia, age, preoperative Tönnis grade, and alpha angle >65° were key risk factors in the radiographic progression of osteoarthritis. CONCLUSION: Although the majority of patients (70%) undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAIS did not experience differences between operative and nonoperative hips in terms of the radiographic progression of osteoarthritis, the natural history may be favorably altered for 25% of patients whose Tönnis grade was better after undergoing arthroscopic correction. Modern hip arthroscopy indications and techniques represent a valid joint-preservation procedure conferring a relative risk reduction of 42% in the progression of osteoarthritis. Arthroscopy for mixed patterns of impingement and instability were the fastest to degenerate.

Who Are the Anatomic Outliers Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty? A Computed Tomography-Based Analysis of the Hip-Knee-Ankle Axis Across 1,352 Preoperative Computed Tomographies Using a Deep Learning and Computer Vision-Based Pipeline.

BACKGROUND: Dissatisfaction after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) ranges from 15 to 30%. While patient selection may be partially responsible, morphological and reconstructive challenges may be determinants. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans for TKA planning allow us to evaluate the hip-knee-ankle axis and establish a baseline phenotypic distribution across anatomic parameters. The purpose of this cross-sectional analysis was to establish the distributions of 27 parameters in a pre-TKA cohort and perform threshold analysis to identify anatomic outliers. METHODS: There were 1,352 pre-TKA CTs that were processed. A 2-step deep learning pipeline of classification and segmentation models identified landmark images and then generated contour representations. We used an open-source computer vision library to compute measurements for 27 anatomic metrics along the hip-knee axis. Normative distribution plots were established, and thresholds for the 15th percentile at both extremes were calculated. Metrics falling outside the central 70th percentile were considered outlier indices. A threshold analysis of outlier indices against the proportion of the cohort was performed. RESULTS: Significant variation exists in pre-TKA anatomy across 27 normally distributed metrics. Threshold analysis revealed a sigmoid function with a critical point at 9 outlier indices, representing 31.2% of subjects as anatomic outliers. Metrics with the greatest variation related to deformity (tibiofemoral angle, medial proximal tibial angle, lateral distal femoral angle), bony size (tibial width, anteroposterior femoral size, femoral head size, medial femoral condyle size), intraoperative landmarks (posterior tibial slope, transepicondylar and posterior condylar axes), and neglected rotational considerations (acetabular and femoral version, femoral torsion). CONCLUSIONS: In the largest non-industry database of pre-TKA CTs using a fully automated 3-stage deep learning and computer vision-based pipeline, marked anatomic variation exists. In the pursuit of understanding the dissatisfaction rate after TKA, acknowledging that 31% of patients represent anatomic outliers may help us better achieve anatomically personalized TKA, with or without adjunctive technology.

The Fundamentals and Applications of Wearable Sensor Devices in Sports Medicine: A Scoping Review.

PURPOSE: To (1) characterize the various forms of wearable sensor devices (WSDs) and (2) review the peer-reviewed literature of applied wearable technology within sports medicine. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed and EMBASE databases, from inception through 2023, was conducted to identify eligible studies using WSDs within sports medicine. Data extraction was performed of study demographics and sensor specifications. Included studies were categorized by application: athletic training, rehabilitation, and research. RESULTS: In total, 43 studies met criteria for inclusion in this review. Forms of WSDs include pedometers, accelerometers, encoders (consisting of magnetometers and gyroscopes), force sensors, global positioning system trackers, and inertial measurement units. Outcome metrics include step counts; gait, limb motion, and angular positioning; foot and skin pressure; change of direction and inclination, including analysis of both body parts and athletes on a field; displacement and velocity of body segments and joints; heart rate; plethysmography; sport-specific kinematics; range of motion, symmetry, and alignment; head impact; sleep; throwing biomechanics; and kinetic and spatiotemporal running metrics. WSDs are used in athletic training to assess sport-specific biomechanics and workload with a goal of injury prevention and training optimization, as well as for rehabilitation monitoring and research such as for risk predicting and aiding diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: WSDs enable real-time monitoring of human performance across a variety of implementations and settings, allowing collection of metrics otherwise not achievable. WSDs are powerful tools with multiple applications within athletic training, patient rehabilitation, and orthopaedic and sports medicine research. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Wearable technology may represent the missing link to quantitatively addressing return to play and previous performance. WSDs are commercially available and portable adjuncts that allow clinicians, trainers, and individual athletes to monitor biomechanical parameters, workload, and recovery status to better contextualize personalized training, injury risk, and rehabilitation.

Long-term Outcomes After Arthroscopic Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement for Patients With Borderline Dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes after isolated hip arthroscopic surgery for patients with dysplasia have been unfavorable. Results have included iatrogenic instability and conversion to total hip arthroplasty at a young age. However, patients with borderline dysplasia (BD) have shown more favorable results at short- and medium-term follow-up. PURPOSE: To assess long-term outcomes after hip arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement in patients with BD (lateral center-edge angle [LCEA] = 18°-25°) compared with a control group of patients without dysplasia (LCEA = 26°-40°). STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: We identified a group of 33 patients (38 hips) with BD who were treated for FAI between March 2009 and July 2012. An age- and sex-matched control group of 83 patients (96 hips) was also identified. Patient-reported outcome scores were collected preoperatively and subsequently at a mean of 9.6 years postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean LCEA and Tönnis angle were 22.42°± 2.02° and 6.27°± 3.23° in the BD group, respectively, and 31.71°± 3.52° and 2.42°± 3.02° in the control group, respectively (P < .001). At a mean follow-up of 9.6 years (range, 8.2-11.6 years), there was a significant improvement in all patient-reported outcome scores in both groups (P < .001). There were no significant differences between preoperative and postoperative scores or rates of achieving the minimal clinically important difference between the BD and control groups. Bilateral surgery was noted to be a risk factor for any revision during the follow-up period (P < .001). There were 2 hips (5.3%) that underwent revision surgery in the BD group and 10 hips (10.4%) in the control group; of these, 1 patient in the BD group underwent total hip arthroplasty, and 1 patient who had undergone bilateral surgery in the control group underwent bilateral hip resurfacing. CONCLUSION: Durable outcomes (>9 years) with low revision rates can be expected after hip arthroscopic surgery with an approach that involves labral preservation where possible and careful attention to capsular closure in patients with BD. The observed outcomes were similar to those of a femoroacetabular impingement group with normal coverage. These results highlight the importance of classifying patients into impingement or instability categories and tailoring treatment appropriately with arthroscopic surgery or periacetabular osteotomy, respectively.

Majority of competitive soccer players return to soccer following hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement: female and older aged players are less likely to return to soccer.

PURPOSE: To determine return to soccer rates and soccer performance in a large cohort of competitive soccer players after hip arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and to identify possible risk factors associated with not returning to soccer. METHODS: An institutional hip preservation registry was retrospectively reviewed for patients identified as competitive soccer players who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAI performed between 2010 and 2017. Patient demographics and injury characteristics as well as clinical and radiographic findings were recorded. All patients were contacted for return to soccer information using a soccer-specific return to play questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify potential risk factors for not returning to soccer. RESULTS: Eighty-seven competitive soccer players (119 hips) were included. 32 players (37%) underwent simultaneous or staged bilateral hip arthroscopy. The mean age at surgery was 21.6 ± 7.0 years. Overall, 65 players (74.7%) returned to soccer, of which 43 players (49% of all included players) returned to pre-injury level of play or better. Most common reasons for not returning to soccer were pain or discomfort (50%) followed by fear of re-injury (31.8%). The mean time to return to soccer was 33.1 ± 26.3 weeks. Among 22 players who did not return to soccer, 14 (63.6%) reported satisfaction from surgery. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed female players (odds ratio [OR] = 0.27; confidence interval [CI] = 0.083 to 0.872; p = 0.029) and older aged players (OR = 0.895; 95% CI = 0.832 to 0.963; p = 0.003) were less likely to return to soccer. Bilateral surgery was not found to be a risk factor. CONCLUSION: Hip arthroscopic treatment for FAI in symptomatic competitive soccer players allowed three-quarters of them to return to soccer. Despite not returning to soccer, two-thirds of players who did not return to soccer were satisfied with their outcome. Female and older aged players were less likely to return to soccer. These data can better guide clinicians and soccer players with realistic expectations related to the arthroscopic management of symptomatic FAI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Hip Arthroscopy With Bone Marrow Aspirate Injection for Patients With Symptomatic Labral Tears and Early Degenerative Changes Shows Similar Improvement Compared With Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy With Symptomatic Labral Tears Without Arthritis.

PURPOSE: To define the clinical effect of intra-articular injection of iliac crest-derived bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) at the time of hip arthroscopy in patients with symptomatic labral tears and early radiographic degenerative changes. METHODS: A retrospective review of a prospectively collected hip registry database was performed. Patients with symptomatic labral tears and Tönnis grade 1 or 2 degenerative changes who underwent labrum-preserving hip arthroscopy with BMAC injection were included and were matched with patients who underwent hip arthroscopy without BMAC injection. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) collected preoperatively and up to 2 years postoperatively included the modified Harris Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living, Hip Outcome Score-Sport, and International Hip Outcome Tool 33 score. Clinical relevance was measured with the minimal clinically important difference, patient acceptable symptom state, and substantial clinical benefit for each outcome score. RESULTS: A total of 35 patients underwent labrum-preserving hip arthroscopy with BMAC injection and were matched with 35 control patients. There were no differences in demographic characteristics between the groups (P > .05). The BMAC group consisted of 22 patients (62.9%) with Tönnis grade 1 changes and 13 (37.1%) with Tönnis grade 2 changes, whereas all 35 control patients had Tönnis grade 0 hips. All PROs were significantly improved in both groups at 2 years, with no difference in improvement. The rate of failure requiring conversion to total hip arthroplasty was 14.3% (mean, 1.6 years postoperatively) in the BMAC group and 5.7% (mean, 7 years postoperatively) in the control group (P = .09). The difference in the frequency of patients achieving the minimal clinically important difference, patient acceptable symptom state, and substantial clinical benefit was not statistically significant between cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: In a challenging group of patients with symptomatic labral tears and early radiographic degenerative changes, hip arthroscopy with BMAC injection results in statistically and clinically significant improvement in PROs comparable to a group of patients with nonarthritic hips undergoing hip arthroscopy at short-term follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative therapeutic trial.

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Mobility Computerized Adaptive Testing Maintains High Correlation and Low Test Burden Compared With Legacy Hip-Specific Instruments in Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness of the lower extremity-specific Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Mobility (MO) bank in patients who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement. METHODS: Patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopic surgery at a large academic musculoskeletal specialty center between November 2019 and November 2020 completed the following baseline and 6-month measures: PROMIS MO, PROMIS Pain Interference (PI), PROMIS Physical Function (PF), modified Harris Hip Score, International Hip Outcome Tool 33, visual analog scale, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation. Construct validity was evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficients. The number of questions until completion was recorded as a marker of test burden. The percentage of patients scoring at the extreme high (ceiling) or low (floor) for each measure was recorded to measure inclusivity. Responsiveness was tested by comparing differences between baseline and 6-month measures, controlling for age and sex, using generalized estimating equations. Magnitudes of responsiveness were assessed through the effect size (Cohen d). RESULTS: In this study, 660 patients (50% female patients) aged 32 ± 14 years were evaluated. PROMIS MO showed a strong correlation with PROMIS PF (r = 0.84, P < .001), the International Hip Outcome Tool 33 (r = 0.73, P < .001), PROMIS PI (r = -0.76, P < .001), and the modified Harris Hip Score (r = 0.73, P < .001). Neither PROMIS MO, PROMIS PI, nor PROMIS PF met the conventional criteria for floor or ceiling effects (≥15%). The mean number of questions answered (± standard deviation) was 4.7 ± 2.1 for PROMIS MO, 4.1 ± 0.6 for PROMIS PI, and 4.1 ± 0.6 for PROMIS PF. From baseline to 6 months, the PROMIS and legacy measures exhibited significant responsiveness (P < .05), with similar effect sizes between the patient-reported outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal study reveals that in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy, PROMIS MO computerized adaptive testing maintains high correlation with legacy hip-specific instruments, significant responsiveness to change, and low test burden compared with legacy measures, with no ceiling or floor effects at 6-month postoperative follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.

Revision Hip Arthroscopy in the Native Hip: A Review of Contemporary Evaluation and Treatment Options.

Hip arthroscopy is a reproducible and efficacious procedure for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). Despite this efficacy, clinical failures are observed, clinical entities are challenging to treat, and revision hip arthroscopy may be required. The most common cause of symptom recurrence after a hip arthroscopy that leads to a revision arthroscopy is residual cam morphology as a result of inadequate femoral osteochondroplasty and restoration of head-neck offset, though several other revision etiologies including progressive chondral and labral pathologies also exist. In these cases, it is imperative to perform a comprehensive examination to identify the cause of a failed primary arthroscopy as to assess whether or not a revision hip arthroscopy procedure is indicated. When a secondary procedure is indicated, approaches may consist of revision labral repair, complete labral reconstruction, or labral augmentation depending on labral integrity. Gross instability or imaging-based evidence of microinstability may necessitate capsular augmentation or plication. If residual cam or pincer morphology is present, additional resection of the osseous abnormalities may be warranted. This review article discusses indications, the evaluation of patients with residual symptoms after primary hip arthroscopy, and the evaluation of outcomes following revision hip arthroscopy through an evidence-based discussion. We also present a case example of a revision hip arthroscopy procedure to highlight necessary intraoperative techniques during a revision hip arthroscopy.

Unannotated small RNA clusters associated with circulating extracellular vesicles detect early stage liver cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Surveillance tools for early cancer detection are suboptimal, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and biomarkers are urgently needed. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained increasing scientific interest due to their involvement in tumour initiation and metastasis; however, most extracellular RNA (exRNA) blood-based biomarker studies are limited to annotated genomic regions. DESIGN: EVs were isolated with differential ultracentrifugation and integrated nanoscale deterministic lateral displacement arrays (nanoDLD) and quality assessed by electron microscopy, immunoblotting, nanoparticle tracking and deconvolution analysis. Genome-wide sequencing of the largely unexplored small exRNA landscape, including unannotated transcripts, identified and reproducibly quantified small RNA clusters (smRCs). Their key genomic features were delineated across biospecimens and EV isolation techniques in prostate cancer and HCC. Three independent exRNA cancer datasets with a total of 479 samples from 375 patients, including longitudinal samples, were used for this study. RESULTS: ExRNA smRCs were dominated by uncharacterised, unannotated small RNA with a consensus sequence of 20 nt. An unannotated 3-smRC signature was significantly overexpressed in plasma exRNA of patients with HCC (p<0.01, n=157). An independent validation in a phase 2 biomarker case-control study revealed 86% sensitivity and 91% specificity for the detection of early HCC from controls at risk (n=209) (area under the receiver operating curve (AUC): 0.87). The 3-smRC signature was independent of alpha-fetoprotein (p<0.0001) and a composite model yielded an increased AUC of 0.93. CONCLUSION: These findings directly lead to the prospect of a minimally invasive, blood-only, operator-independent clinical tool for HCC surveillance, thus highlighting the potential of unannotated smRCs for biomarker research in cancer.