Patient-Reported Outcomes and Factors Impacting Success of the Periacetabular Osteotomy

Hip dysplasia is a condition affecting both infants and adults, characterized by a shallow acetabulum that does not sufficiently cover the head of the femur. This leads to instability of the hip and elevated levels of mechanical stress around the acetabular rim. A popular procedure for the correction of hip dysplasia is the periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), in which fluoroscopically guided osteotomies around the pelvis are made to allow for repositioning of the acetabulum to fit properly on the femoral head. This systematic review aims to analyze patient factors that impact outcomes, as well as patient-reported outcomes such as the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC). The patients in this review did not undergo any prior intervention for acetabular hip dysplasia, allowing for an unbiased reporting of outcomes from all included studies. Of studies reporting HHS, the mean preoperative HHS was 68.92 and the mean postoperative HHS was 89.1. Of the study that reported mHHS, the mean preoperative mHHS was 70, and the mean postoperative mHHS was 91. Of the studies reporting WOMAC, the mean preoperative WOMAC was 66, and the mean postoperative WOMAC was 63. Key findings of this review are that of the seven included studies, six achieved a minimally important clinical difference (MCID) based on patient-reported outcomes, and factors impacting outcome are preoperative Tönnis osteoarthritis (OA) grade, pre and postoperative lateral-center edge angle (LCEA), preoperative hip joint congruency, postoperative Tönnis angle, and age. In patients with no prior intervention for hip dysplasia, the PAO is a successful procedure with significant improvement in postoperative patient-reported outcomes. Despite the reported success of the PAO, proper patient selection is vital to avoid early conversions to total hip arthroplasty (THA) and prolonged pain. However, further investigation is prompted regarding the long-term survivorship of the PAO in patients with no prior intervention for hip dysplasia.