Does Arthroscopic Repair of Femoroacetabular Impingement Pathology Affect Clinical Outcomes after Ipsilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty?

PURPOSE: Arthroscopy for repair of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and related conditions is technically challenging, but remains the preferred approach for management of these hip pathologies. The incidence of this procedure has increased steadily for the past few years, but little is known about its potential long-term effects on future interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether prior arthroscopic correction of FAI pathology impacts postoperative complication rates in patients receiving subsequent ipsilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA) on a national scale. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A commercially available national database – PearlDiver Patients Records Database – identified primary THA patients from 2005 to 2014. Patients who had prior arthroscopic FAI repair (post arthroscopy group) were separated from those who did not (native hip group). Prior FAI repair was examined as a risk factor for complications following THA and a multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to identify risk factors for complications following THA. RESULTS: A total of 11,061 patients met all inclusion and exclusion criteria; 10,951 in the native hip group and 110 in the post arthroscopy group. Prior FAI repair was not significantly associated with higher rates of 90-day readmission (P=0.585), aseptic dislocation/revision within 3 years (P=0.409), surgical site infection within 3 years (P=0.796), or hip stiffness within 3 years (P=0.977) after THA. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic FAI repair is not an independent risk factor for complications following subsequent ipsilateral THA (level of evidence: III).