Editorial Commentary: Long-Term Follow-up After Endoscopic Gluteal Repair Plus Hip Arthroscopy Shows Durable Results Using Validated Patient-Reported Outcome Scores That Largely Exceed the Minimal Clinically Important Difference and Patient Acceptable Symptom State.

Gluteus medius and minimus tendon pathology is a common cause of lateral hip pain. In patients who are dissatisfied with their hip condition following nonsurgical treatment, gluteal repair has demonstrated excellent short-, mid-, and, now recently, long-term subjective patient-reported and objective clinician-measured outcomes. In patients with peritrochanteric hip pain, the proportion of their overall hip pain may be influenced by the hip joint due to conditions like femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, acetabular dysplasia, labral tears, and arthritis. Thus, surgical decision-making must include consideration of also addressing the joint at the same time as the gluteal repair. This is sometimes challenging due to the high frequency of observing labral injuries and cam/pincer/dysplasia morphology in patients without symptoms due to the "radiographic abnormalities." Labral pathology is also more prevalent in older patients, who happen to also be those individuals with symptomatic gluteal tendon pain. Both open and endoscopic approaches to the gluteal tendons have advantages and disadvantages without significant outcomes differences in the short- or mid-term. Long-term clinical follow-up of patients treated with endoscopic gluteal repair with or without concomitant hip arthroscopy should be included in large national and international prospective registries using validated, reliable, and responsive patient-reported outcome scores, with clinical importance assessed using the minimal clinically important difference, patient acceptable symptom state, substantial clinical benefit, and maximal outcome improvement.

Editorial Commentary: Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Biomedical, Large, Clinical Registry Data Using Machine Learning Requires Tens of Thousands of Subjects and a Focus on Substantial Clinical Benefit: Minimal Clinically Important Difference Is too Low a Bar.

As the field of arthroscopic hip preservation surgery grows, large high-quality registries represent a foundational study design for establishing whether hip arthroscopy is effective for patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). Original research publications from experienced high-volume surgeons tell us "Can it work". A registry tells us "Does it work?". The ability of preservation to truly preserve the joint, delay the arthritis process, and reduce the risk of arthroplasty requires long-term follow-up. A geographic registry can follow this. The registry represents the "real world", a heterogeneous set of variables pertaining to the doctor, patient, intervention, and outcome. The vast array of factors that can be analyzed before, during, and after surgery makes machine learning an ideal technique for analysis of large quantities of data. A global hip preservation surgery registry is a desirable and achievable goal. In order to optimally predict outcome of hip arthroscopy, given the known large number of patient- and hip-specific factors that influence outcomes, a deep learning model with tens of thousands of subjects for this medium-scale task would be needed. Measures of clinical relevance need to include more than just MCID (minimal clinically important difference), which is the lowest bar minimal threshold. Patient expectations often far exceed MCID-requiring other metrics like SCB (substantial clinical benefit), PASS (patient acceptable symptom state), and MOI (maximal outcome improvement). Registries should include validated, reliable, and responsive patient-reported outcome scores (e.g., International Hip Outcome Tool [iHOT-12]) with measures of clinical relevance and expectations assessed routinely. The United Kingdom's NAHR (Non-Arthroplasty Hip Registry) and Denmark's DHAR (Danish Hip Arthroscopy Registry) are the two largest geography-based registries in current hip preservation research both with 11 years of patient enrollment.

Editorial Commentary: Femoral Version and Capsular Thickness Analysis in Hip Preservation Surgery-Surgical Indications Are as Important as Surgical Technique.

Optimal treatment of patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome requires both thoughtful decision-making and skillful operative technique. Traditional evidence-based literature and routine clinical practice overemphasize the role of the alpha angle on the femoral side and lateral center edge angle on the acetabular side. Femoral and acetabular version are critical values that influence outcomes and warrant measurement and consideration. Without version analysis, an uniformed, possibly poor, decision may be made. The literature and clinical practice also place dichotomous emphasis on labral (torn/intact) and capsular (torn/intact) integrity, with minimal appreciation of the morphological details of both. Not all capsules are created equal. "Normal" capsule thickness is a nebulous concept, with thinner anterior capsules more prone to anterior instability. Intuitively, it biomechanically stands to reason that excessive femoral anteversion (and excessive anterior cranial and central acetabular version) would place additional stress on the anterior capsule. Excessive femoral anteversion is associated with a thinner anterior capsule. Whether the latter is a reactive process (implies causation) or simply 2 concordant metrics (only correlation) has yet to be determined. In patients with nonarthritic hip pain, comprehensive quantitative consideration of both femoral and acetabular version and capsular thickness determines the optimal hip preservation procedure. Surgical indications are as important as surgical technique.

Microfracture of Acetabular Chondral Lesions Is Not Superior to Other Cartilage Repair Techniques in Patients With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review to compare clinical outcomes of hip arthroscopy patients undergoing microfracture (MFx) versus other cartilage repair procedures for chondral lesions of the acetabulum. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines by searching PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase to identify comparative studies that directly compared outcomes between MFx and other cartilage repair procedures for full-thickness chondral lesions of the acetabulum identified during hip arthroscopy. The search phrase used was: hip AND arthroscopy AND microfracture. Patients were evaluated based on reoperation rates and patient-reported outcomes. RESULTS: Six studies (all Level III evidence) met inclusion criteria, including a total of 202 patients undergoing microfracture (group A) and 327 patients undergoing another cartilage repair procedure (group B). Mean patient age ranged from 35.0 to 45.0 years. Mean follow-up time ranged from 12.0 to 72.0 months. Significantly better patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were found in patients undergoing treatment with bone marrow aspirate concentrate, microfragmented adipose tissue concentrate, autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis, and a combination of autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis and bone marrow aspirate concentrate compared with MFx. No studies found significantly better postoperative PROs in group A. The reoperation rate ranged from 0% to 34.6% in group A and 0% to 15.9% in group B. Three of 5 studies reporting on reoperation rate found a significantly greater reoperation rate in group A, with no difference in the other 2 studies. CONCLUSIONS: The literature on MFx of acetabular chondral lesions is limited and heterogeneous. Based on the available data, MFx alone results in a greater or equivalent reoperation rate and inferior or equivalent PROs compared with other cartilage repair procedures for acetabular chondral lesions in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, systematic review of level III studies.

Evaluation and Management of the Athlete's Hip.

Hip and groin pain is common in athletes, and there are many possible underlying pathologies. It is important to describe athletic hip pathology in the context of sport-specific physiologic loads and biomechanical demands. Three distinct types of athletes with this pathology are collision athletes, hypermobility athletes, and endurance athletes. Although there is considerable overlap between sports, athletes with hip pain should always be evaluated in the context of their sport. Understanding the effect of sport-specific biomechanical demands may help with both diagnosis and treatment of athletic hip pathology; however, each athlete's injury should be analyzed on an individual basis.

Guidelines for Proper Reporting of Clinical Significance, Including Minimal Clinically Important Difference, Patient Acceptable Symptomatic State, Substantial Clinical Benefit, and Maximal Outcome Improvement.

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) need to be responsive, reliable, and validated for the specific condition or treatment. PROMs also need to exhibit a dose-dependent response across a diverse patient population, unlimited by floor and ceiling effects. Statistically significant differences between compared groups might not always represent clinically important differences. Measures of clinical significance reflect a spectrum of patient satisfaction after an intervention. A noticeable difference to the patient is assessed with minimal clinically important difference (MCID), patient satisfaction by patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS), and a "considerable" improvement by substantial clinical benefit (SCB). Clinical relevance measured by these clinically significant outcomes (CSO) are limited by ceiling effects. Maximal outcome improvement (MOI) might more accurately account for patients with higher baseline or preoperative PROMs, thereby limiting ceiling effects. The acts of measuring (and reporting) patient-centered endpoints may actually be of greater importance than collecting objective clinician-measured data. As the old surgeon's aphorism goes, "nothing ruins good results like good follow-up."

Editorial Commentary: Hip Primary Labral Repair Versus Reconstruction: Equally Successful Outcomes Can Be Achieved Based on Proper Indications.

One of the core principles of hip arthroscopy is preservation of the acetabular labrum. Compromise of the biomechanical function of the labrum underlies a significant symptom source in patients undergoing hip preservation surgery. As surgical techniques continue to improve and evolve beyond labral repair, increased use of advanced arthroscopic procedures like segmental and circumferential reconstruction shed further light on the optimal labral intervention. In the revision setting, labral deficiency warrants labral reconstruction or augmentation. Both segmental and circumferential techniques may significantly improve patient-reported outcomes. However, in the primary setting, controversy exists not necessarily in the surgical technique, but more in the indications to perform which specific labral intervention. Reasonable indications for primary labral reconstruction include a calcified or ossified labrum, irreparable labral tissue, and hypotrophy of the labrum (less than 2-3 mm) with a proven deficient suction seal without resistance to axial distraction. Short-term multicenter studies demonstrate similar success rates between primary labral reconstruction and repair using validated patient-report outcome scores. Mid- and long-term clinical and economic investigations comparing labral reconstruction and repair are needed to determine the role of primary reconstruction in modern arthroscopic hip preservation surgery.

Editorial Commentary: The Pelvis is the Lowest Vertebral Level: Diagnostic Approach to Hip-Spine Syndrome.

The human pelvis represents a wonderful example of apparent idealistic simplicity overwhelmed by realistic complexity. Traditionally, the pelvis has been termed a "ring" linking the lower extremity to the spine via the sacroiliac joint. In essence, the pelvis is the lowest vertebral level-"the hip bone's connected to the spine bone." Thus, the law of parsimony seemingly applies in the diagnosis and management of both arthritic and nonarthritic hip and spine disorders in isolation or combination. However, an inverse Occam's razor is much more likely. The layered theory of hip disorders illustrates how a base osteochondral layer (femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, ischiofemoral impingement from either the lesser trochanter or greater trochanter, arthritis), a static inert soft-tissue layer (labrum, capsule, ligament), a dynamic soft-tissue layer (muscle, tendon), and a neurokinetic chain layer all interact and can lead to hundreds, if not thousands, of different combinations of primary and secondary symptom sources. Although correlation does not equal causation, intuitively and overly simplistically, a stiff painful hip can transfer stress across the pelvic ring to the spine, causing back pain. Alternatively, 2 separate symptom sources could be present at the same time. Biomechanical stress transfer can occur from flexion-based (e.g., femoroacetabular impingement syndrome) or extension-based (e.g., ischiofemoral impingement) problems. The diagnosis of hip-spine syndrome in patients becomes really complicated usually really fast, encompassing the hip joint, peritrochanteric space, deep gluteal space, pelvis and pelvic floor, sacroiliac joint, and lumbosacral spine-and don't forget mental health and the mind controls the musculotendinous system in these challenging, often frustrated, patients. Static imaging findings necessitate dynamic symptom correlation, especially via pertinent values including pelvic incidence; pelvic tilt; sacral slope; lumbar lordosis; femoral and acetabular version; cam, pincer, and dysplastic morphologies; and leg length. Judicious diagnostic injections can greatly assist in clinical symptom interpretation. Successful treatment requires consideration and management of the primary etiology and pertinent secondary downstream effects. When a patient's hip hurts, one should always look at the patient's back; when a patient's back hurts, one should always look at the patient's hip.

Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Offers Questionable Clinical Utility, Delays Time to Hip Arthroscopy, and Lacks Cost-Effectiveness in Patients Aged ≤40 Years With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Retrospective 5-Year Analysis.

PURPOSE: To assess the clinical utility of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantify the delay in surgical care for patients aged ≤40 years undergoing primary hip arthroscopy with history, physical examination, and radiographs concordant with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). METHODS: From August 2015 to December 2020, 1,786 consecutive patients were reviewed from the practice of 1 fellowship-trained hip arthroscopist. Inclusion criteria were FAIS, primary surgery, and age ≤40 years. Exclusion criteria were MRI contraindication, reattempt of conservative management, or concomitant periacetabular osteotomy. After nonoperative treatment options were exhausted and a surgical plan was established, patients were stratified by those who presented with versus without MRI. Those without existing MRI received one, and any deviations from the surgical plan were noted. All preoperative MRIs were compared with office evaluation and intraoperative findings to assess agreement. Demographic data, Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS)-Pain, and time from office to MRI or arthroscopy were recorded. RESULTS: Of the patients indicated by history, physical examination, and radiographs alone (70% female, body mass index 24.8 kg/m2, age 25.9 years), 198 patients presented without MRI and 934 with MRI. None of the 198 had surgical plans altered after MRI. Patients in both groups had MRI findings demonstrating anterosuperior labral tears that were visualized and repaired intraoperatively. Mean time from office to arthroscopy for patients without MRI versus those with was 107.0 ± 67 and 85.0 ± 53 days, respectively (P < .001). Time to MRI was 22.8 days. No difference between groups was observed among the 85% of patients who surpassed the HOOS-Pain minimal clinically important difference (MCID). CONCLUSION: Once indicated for surgery based on history, physical examination, and radiographs, preoperative MRI did not alter the surgical plan for patients aged ≤40 years with FAIS undergoing primary hip arthroscopy. Moreover, preoperative MRI delayed time to arthroscopy. The necessity of routine preoperative MRI in the young primary FAIS population should be challenged.

Post-Related Complications in Hip Arthroscopy Are Reported Significantly Greater in Prospective Versus Retrospective Literature: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To determine whether there are differences in (1) the incidence of post-related complications following hip arthroscopy between prospective and retrospective publications; and (2) between post-assisted and postless techniques. METHODS: A systematic review was performed using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to characterize post-related complications following hip arthroscopy for central or peripheral compartment hip pathology, including femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and chondrolabral injury. Inclusion criteria were prospective and retrospective Level I-IV evidence investigations that reported results of hip arthroscopy performed in the supine position. Exclusion criteria included open or extra-articular endoscopic hip surgery. Post-related complications included pudendal nerve injury (sexual dysfunction, dyspareunia, perineal pain or numbness) or perineum/external genitalia soft-tissue injury. RESULTS: Ninety-four studies (12,212 hips; 49% male, 51% female; 52% Level IV evidence) were analyzed. Prospective studies (3,032 hips) report a greater incidence of post-related complications compared with retrospective (8,116 hips) studies (7.1% vs 1.4%, P < .001). Three studies (1,064 hips) used a postless technique and all reported a 0% incidence of pudendal neurapraxia or perineal soft tissue injury. Most pudendal nerve complications were transient, resolving by 3 months, but permanent nerve injury was reported in 4 cases. Only 19%, 22%, 7%, and 4% of studies reported a total surgery time, traction time, traction force, and bed Trendelenburg angle for their study samples, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of post-related complications is 5 times greater in prospective (versus retrospective) hip arthroscopy literature. Postless distraction resulted in a 0% incidence of post-related injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, systematic review of Level I-IV evidence.

Does Complexity Always Correlate With Compensation? An Analysis of Work Relative Value Units in 3 Common Nerve Decompression Syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Work relative value units (wRVUs) are part of Resource Based Relative Value Scale system. It is expected that a more difficult and time-consuming procedure would yield higher wRVUs. Brachial plexus nerve decompression surgery is a more time-consuming procedure compared with carpal and cubital tunnel procedures. The aim of this study was to analyze physician reimbursement in upper limb decompression procedures by comparing mean operative times, wRVUs per minute, and dollars per minute. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from June 2016 to June 2019, including all patients who underwent carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, and brachial plexus release procedures. Operating time was collected, and calculations of mean operative time, wRVUs per minute, and dollars per minute were performed and compared between groups. RESULTS: A total of 209 cases were included. Carpal tunnel accounted for 75.1% of the cases, followed by cubital tunnel and brachial plexus releases. Brachial plexus release had the highest median operative time (147 minutes), followed by cubital tunnel (57 minutes) and carpal tunnel release (16 minutes, P < 0.0001). Carpal tunnel release procedures had a significantly higher wRVUs per minute (0.310) when compared with cubital tunnel and brachial pleaxus release procedures, 0.127 and 0.077, respectively (P < 0.0001). Same was true for dollars per minute; carpal tunnel procedures yielded significantly more compensation than cubital tunnel and thoracic outlet procedures (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: More complex and time-consuming procedures yielded a lower reimbursement for physicians. The current work relative unit system does not account adequately for the time spent in each procedure.

Musculoskeletal pathology as an early warning sign of systemic amyloidosis: a systematic review of amyloid deposition and orthopedic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Transthyretin and immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidoses cause amyloid deposition throughout various organ systems. Recent evidence suggests that soft tissue amyloid deposits may lead to orthopedic conditions before cardiac manifestations occur. Pharmacologic treatments reduce further amyloid deposits in these patients. Thus, early diagnosis improves long term survival. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The primary purpose of this systematic review was to characterize the association between amyloid deposition and musculoskeletal pathology in patients with common orthopedic conditions. A secondary purpose was to determine the relationship between amyloid positive biopsy in musculoskeletal tissue and the eventual diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis. METHODS: We performed a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were level I-IV evidence articles that analyzed light-chain or transthyretin amyloid deposits in common orthopedic surgeries. Study methodological quality, risk of bias, and recommendation strength were assessed using MINORS, ROBINS-I, and SORT. RESULTS: This systematic review included 24 studies for final analysis (3606 subjects). Amyloid deposition was reported in five musculoskeletal pathologies, including carpal tunnel syndrome (transverse carpal ligament and flexor tenosynovium), hip and knee osteoarthritis (synovium and articular cartilage), lumbar spinal stenosis (ligamentum flavum), and rotator cuff tears (tendon). A majority of studies reported a mean age greater than 70 for patients with TTR or AL positive amyloid. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review has shown the presence of amyloid deposition detected at the time of common orthopedic surgeries, especially in patients ≥70 years old. Subtyping of the amyloid has been shown to enable diagnosis of systemic light-chain or transthyretin amyloidosis prior to cardiac manifestations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Editorial Commentary: An Optimal Classification System to Guide Prognosis and Treatment in Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome: Now We're Speaking the Same Language.

The optimal classification system in arthroscopic and related surgery research and clinical practice should be clinically relevant, descriptive, reproducible, simple, inexpensive, safe, and widely applicable. For the hip, classification systems that characterize intra-articular disorders like femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome, dysplasia, labral tears, and articular cartilage disease predominate the literature. Recently, awareness of peritrochanteric and other extra-articular disorders has increasingly led to greater recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of what has been historically known as "just bursitis". These disorders are far more complex and include greater trochanteric pain syndrome, the spectrum of gluteal tendon pathology, greater trochanteric bursitis, snapping iliotibial band (external coxa saltans), and greater trochanteric-ischial impingement. The utility of an intraoperative greater trochanteric pain syndrome classification system has now been proven using prospectively collected data, assimilating a decade-long eligibility period following open or endoscopic treatment of peritrochanteric disorders with a minimum two-year follow-up using validated patient-reported outcome scores. This classification guides prognosis and treatment, exactly as an optimal orthopedic classification system should do.

Editorial Commentary: Virtual Reality Simulation Can Help Arthroscopic Hip Preservation Surgeons at All Levels of Training and Practice-This is How.

Virtual reality (VR) simulation has enormous potential utility in technically demanding manual activities. Hip arthroscopy is a perfect example of a challenging surgical technique with an extensive learning curve. The literature has recently consistently demonstrated that both career and annual maintenance case volume significantly influences patient-reported outcomes and risk of revision surgery and complications. Current residency and fellowship programs do not sufficiently prepare trainees to meet or exceed experience thresholds, so augmentation of training is necessary. A significant strength of VR simulation includes its ability to practice without limits. Unfortunately, hip models are limited to simple tasks, without full surgery models yet available simulating routine arthroscopic hip preservation procedures like labral repair, cam and pincer correction, capsular repair. Advanced techniques like labral reconstruction or augmentation, protrusio acetabulae, extensive cam morphology, revision surgery, peritrochanteric space endoscopy, and deep gluteal space endoscopy are not yet available for simulation. VR simulation can probably achieve competence for most, if not all, surgeons; possibly achieve proficiency; and unlikely to achieve mastery. The use of machine learning and artificial intelligence can process vast quantities of photo and video data to generate high-fidelity, lifelike surgical simulation. The near future will incorporate and assimilate these technologies cost-effectively for training programs and surgeons. Our patients will benefit.

Editorial Commentary: Personalized Hip Arthroscopy Outcome Prediction Using Machine Learning-The Future Is Here.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are increasingly used in modern health care, including arthroscopic and related surgery. Multiple high-quality, Level I evidence, randomized, controlled investigations have recently shown the ability of hip arthroscopy to successfully treat femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral tears. Contemporary hip preservation practice strives to continually refine and improve the value of care provision. Multiple single-center and multicenter prospective registries continue to grow as part of both United States-based and international hip preservation-specific networks and collaborations. The ability to predict postoperative patient-reported outcomes preoperatively holds great promise with machine learning. Machine learning requires massive amounts of data, which can easily be generated from electronic medical records and both patient- and clinician-generated questionnaires. On top of text-based data, imaging (e.g., plain radiographs, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging) can be rapidly interpreted and used in both clinical practice and research. Formidable computational power is also required, using different advanced statistical methods and algorithms to generate models with the ability to predict individual patient outcomes. Efficient integration of machine learning into hip arthroscopy practice can reduce physicians' "busywork" of data collection and analysis. This can only improve the value of the patient experience, because surgeons have more time for shared decision making, with empathy, compassion, and humanity counterintuitively returning to medicine.

Editorial Commentary: Arthrosomnology and the Solution to Coxalgia Somnia: Arthroscopic Hip Surgeons and Patients Increasingly Appreciate the Role of Sleep as Good Medicine.

It is increasingly recognized that a variety of musculoskeletal disorders significantly influence sleep. In individuals with sleep dysfunction caused by hip pain (coxalgia somnia) from osteoarthritis, total hip arthroplasty has reliably improved pain and sleep quality in most patients. In nonarthritic, nondysplastic individuals with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome caused by cam and/or pincer morphology and labral tears, hip arthroscopy has similarly reliably improved pain and function in most patients. In addition, there is now early short-term evidence showing significant improvements in both sleep quantity and quality in most patients after arthroscopic hip preservation surgery. Integrating the realms of hip arthroscopy and sleep medicine, known as arthrosomnology, there are dozens of subjective patient-reported and objective clinician-measured outcomes available to analyze the impact of interventions. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index is the most common subjective questionnaire used in orthopaedic surgery literature. Integrating the realms of wearable technology (fitness trackers, smart watches) and machine learning and artificial intelligence has incredible potential to collect immense volumes of accurate sleep "big data."

Nearly One-Third of Published Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Yield Inconclusive Conclusions: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review that determines the percentage of published orthopedic surgery and sports medicine systematic reviews and meta-analyses that have a conclusive conclusion. METHODS: A systematic review was performed using PRISMA guidelines. Six high-quality orthopedics journals were chosen for analysis over a 10-year eligibility period. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in these journals were included in the investigation. Narrative, scoping, and umbrella reviews were excluded. A systematic review or meta-analysis was defined as having an inconclusive conclusion if the conclusion in the manuscript body or abstract was stated directly as inconclusive, indeterminate, unknown, or having a lack of evidence (or no evidence). A conclusive conclusion stated a direct answer to the study's primary and/or accessory outcomes. Due to the categorical nature of the data, comparisons were made using χ2 test and logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 1,108 systematic reviews/meta-analyses analyzed (30.9 ± 70.3 studies analyzed per review). More reviews (69.9%) were published with conclusive conclusions rather than without (30.1%). More reviews were surgical (73%) rather than nonsurgical. The United States and North America published the most reviews by country and continent, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between countries (highest proportion with China) and continents (highest proportion with Asia) based on the number of conclusive conclusions in published reviews, respectively. There were no significant differences in the proportion of conclusive conclusion reviews between the 6 analyzed journals. Australia published the largest proportion on nonsurgical reviews. The British Journal of Sports Medicine published a significantly higher proportion of nonsurgical reviews than the other 5 journals. There was no temporal relationship with the proportion of conclusive conclusion reviews. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review observed that only 70% of orthopedic systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in 6 high-quality orthopedic journals over a 10-year eligibility period had conclusive conclusions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review and/or meta-analysis of studies with Levels I to IV.

Sex-Related Hip Strength Measures Among Professional Soccer Players.

ABSTRACT: Hedt, CA, Pearson, JM, Lambert, BS, McCulloch, PC, and Harris, JD. Sex-related hip strength measures among professional soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 35(7): 1992-1999, 2021-Lower-extremity musculoskeletal injuries in soccer are common among sexes. However, it remains unknown whether differences between sexes exist with regard to absolute or relative hip strength and how these differences may relate to injury. In the current study, we performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of pre-season data from male (♂n = 21) and female (♀n = 19) professional United States soccer organizations. Two years of pre-season data were collected for peak strength of lower extremity and hip musculature (no duplicates used). A 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of variance was used to detect differences in hip strength between sexes and dominant compared with nondominant legs. For all significant multivariate effects indicated by Wilks lambda and follow-up univariate analysis, a Tukey's post hoc test was used for pairwise univariate comparisons. A 2-tailed independent-samples T-test was used for comparison of height, body mass, body mass index (BMI), mean leg length, and strength ratios between dominant and nondominant limbs between sexes. Type I error was set at α = 0.05 for all analyses. Height (♂183.1 ± 6.8 cm, ♀170.0 ± 5.5 cm), body mass (♂79.0 ± 8.7 kg, ♀65.1 ± 5.6 kg), BMI (♂23.5 ± 1.3 kg·m-2, ♀22.5 ± 1.4 kg·m-2), and mean leg length (♂95.5 ± 4.34 cm, ♀ 88.3 ± 3.24 cm) differed between groups (p < 0.05). Sex differences (p < 0.05) were also found for hip abduction (dominant ♂19.5 ± 3.6 kg, ♀17.3 ± 2.2 kg; nondominant ♂18.5 ± 3.7 kg, ♀16.0 ± 2.3 kg), adduction (dominant ♂19.8 ± 3.0 kg, ♀16.7 ± 2.3 kg; nondominant ♂20.1 ± 2.9 kg, ♀17.6 ± 2.9 kg), external rotation (dominant ♂21.7 ± 3.4 kg, ♀17.7 ± 2.4 kg; nondominant ♂21.6 ± 3.9 kg, ♀16.8 ± 2.1 kg), and dominant hamstring strength (♂27.9 ± 6.5 kg, ♀23.0 ± 4.9 kg). The ratio of hip internal to external rotation strength differed in the nondominant leg (♂1.1 ± 0.2, ♀0.9 ± 0.2, p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between males and females when measures were normalized to body mass. These findings provide baseline pre-season normative data for professional soccer athletes and indicate that strength differences can be expected among different sexes, but are attenuated with attention to body mass. Further research should indicate how pre-season strength measures relate to injury.

Gender-Specific Sexual Activity After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: Position Matters.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence on the safety of return to sexual activity after hip arthroscopy. AIM: To determine the positional safety of sexual activity after hip arthroscopy relative to hip instability and/or impingement risk. STUDY DESIGN: This study is an observational study. METHODS: 12 common sexual positions were identified based on previous research. Gender-specific hip motion was then assessed for the possibility of postarthroscopic hip instability (due to disruption of iliofemoral ligament [interportal capsulotomy] repair) and/or impingement (labral or capsular compressive stress with disrupted repair) for all 12 positions (both right and left hips; 15 unique male and 14 unique female positions). Instability risk was defined as greater than 0° hip extension, greater than 30° external rotation (ER), or greater than 30° abduction. Impingement risk was defined as greater than 90° hip flexion, greater than 10° internal rotation, and greater than 10° adduction. OUTCOMES: A majority of both male and female sexual positions caused either instability or impingement, with only 4 positions in women and 4 positions in men deemed "safe" by avoiding excessive hip motion. RESULTS: Return to sexual activity after hip arthroscopy may cause instability in 10/15 of male positions and 5/14 female positions. Most male positions (6/10) were at risk for instability because of excessive ER. 2 positions were unstable because of a combination of ER and extension, one was due to extension, and one abduction. In female instability positions, all 5 were unstable because of excessive abduction. Impingement may be observed in 5 of 15 male positions and 6 of 14 female positions. In male impingement positions, all were due to excessive adduction. 4 female positions risked impingement due to excessive flexion and 2 positions due to internal rotation. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study demonstrates risks that should be considered when counseling patients preoperatively and postoperatively regarding sexual activity. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This study closely models a hip preservation patient population by using 2 young and otherwise healthy individuals. The most significant limitation of this investigation was its basis with only 2 young healthy volunteers (one male, one female) in a single motion capture session using surface-based spherical retroreflective markers from a previous investigation. CONCLUSION: After hip arthroscopy, patients need to be made aware of the possibility of hip instability (10 of 15 men; 5 of 14 women) and impingement (5 of 15 men; 6 of 14 women) due to excessive hip motion that may compromise their outcome. Morehouse H, Sochacki KR, Nho SJ, et al. Gender-Specific Sexual Activity After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: Position Matters. J Sex Med 2020;17:658-664.

Editorial Commentary: Hip Preservation and Opioids.

Approximately one-third of patients undergoing arthroscopic hip preservation surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral tears are on preoperative opioid medications. The single most important predictor for prolonged chronic postoperative opioid use is preoperative use. Despite the well-documented high success rates in nonarthritic, nondysplastic individuals undergoing hip arthroscopy, up to half of those individuals on preoperative opioids may still be on opioids at 1 to 2 years of follow-up. Mental wellness disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance abuse) significantly impact both pre- and postoperative pain, function, and activity in nearly all joint and general health outcome measures. Multimodal pain management strategies have shown excellent reduction in perioperative opioid utilization. Intraoperative techniques should strive for comprehensive true hip preservation: labral repair, accurate cam/pincer morphology correction, and routine capsular management. Objective, quantitative pain threshold and pain tolerance measurements may improve treatment decision-making, with better prediction of surgical outcomes. Future personalized health care may use a single individual's mu opioid receptor (OPRM-1 gene) and a number of other genetic markers for pain management to reduce the need for traditional opioid medications. Is opioid-free hip arthroscopy possible? Absolutely. Will the opioid epidemic end? Yes, but we have a lot of work to do.