6-Month Follow-up of Lateral Femoral Circumflex Artery Embolization to Control Pain Related to Hip Osteoarthritis and Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

PURPOSE: To present the preliminary results of a cohort of 13 patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) and great trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) refractory to conservative management or physical therapy and no indication for surgery treated with embolization of the lateral femoral circumflex artery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a single-center prospective cohort from July 2019 to September 2020. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and MacMaster Universities (WOMAC) were used to compare the symptoms before and after 6-month follow-up. Technical success was considered when at least one artery responsible for the hyperemic synovium was embolized. Complications and adverse events were noted. RESULTS: In total, 13 patients were included; mean age was 62.4 (± 11.0) years. 10 (76.9%) patients were treated for GTPS and 3 (23.1%) for hip OA. Nine patients were treated with imipenem/cilastatin (I/C) alone. Microsphere 100–300 μm and I/C were combined in 4 patients. The WOMAC Index had a statistically significant decrease in the total from 77 to 27 points (p = 0.001). Pain, rigidity and physical activity have also significantly reduced (19 to 5, p = 0.001; 6 to 2, p = 0.002 and 53 to 22, p = 0.001, respectively). VAS score had a significant decrease (10 to 2, p = 0.002). Two patients present posterior tight numbness, spontaneously improved within 30 days. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, lateral femoral circumflex artery embolization was a safe and effective treatment for patients with hip pain due to OA and GTPS.