Return to Duty After Mini-Open Arthroscopic-Assisted Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement in an Active Military Population

PURPOSE: To report the return-to-duty rate and surgical outcomes in a military population after mini-open arthroscopic-assisted surgery for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in an effort to affirm its efficacy. METHODS: A retrospective review of consecutive active-duty patients receiving mini-open arthroscopic-assisted surgery for FAI between 2007 and 2011 was performed. Patients younger than 18 years, non–active-duty patients, and patients with prior hip surgery were excluded. Demographic, radiographic, and duty-status data were collected. The primary outcome measure was a return to duty. Outcome scores were obtained in a proportion of the cohort, including the modified Harris Hip Score, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score, patient satisfaction score, and Veterans RAND 12 (VR-12) score. All patients had achieved a minimum of 1 year of follow-up at the time of assessment. All P values for significance were set at .05 or lower. RESULTS: Of 182 patients (average age, 30.4 years), 156 (86%) were available for follow-up with return-to-duty data at an average of 2.8 years (range, 1-6 years). Of the patients, 78% returned to full duty (53%) or returned to duty with restrictions (25%). Outcome scores were available for 101 of 182 patients (55%) with duty rates similar to the total cohort (81% who returned to duty: 58% with no restrictions and 23% with restrictions). Return to duty correlated with improved outcomes compared with those who were medically discharged with respect to the modified Harris Hip Score (68.2 vs 54.5, P < .03), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score (48.2 vs 25.3, P < .02), and VR-12 physical (39.7 vs 33.2, P < .05) and VR-12 mental (54.5 vs 43.4, P < .005) scores. CONCLUSIONS: Mini-open arthroscopic-assisted surgery for FAI is successful in returning most service members to duty at short-term follow-up. Return correlates with improved outcome scores, although previously reported minimally clinical important difference and patient acceptable symptomatic state threshold values were not uniformly achieved. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.