Are crutches required after hip arthroscopy? A case-control study.

Hip arthroscopy provides a less invasive alternative to arthrotomy and has the potential for more rapid rehabilitation. Few guidelines exist for rehabilitation after hip arthroscopic surgery. However, these are not corroborated with evidence of objective outcome measures. In particular, the period for which crutches should be used is imprecisely explained, if explained at all. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not crutch use is required after hip arthroscopic surgery, and if so, for how long.
 We compare a postoperative regimen of four weeks partial weight bearing on crutches (Group 1, n = 85) with a regimen that permitted patients to fully weight bear immediately after surgery if comfort allowed (Group 2, n = 80). We used the modified Harris hip score (mHHS) as an outcome measure at six weeks and six months after surgery. For Group 1, the mean duration of crutch use was 28.2 days and the mean postoperative mHHS at six weeks and six months showed significant improvement compared with preoperatively. For Group 2 the mean duration of crutch use was 13.4 days and the mean postoperative mHHS at six weeks and six months also showed significant improvement compared with preoperatively. The results demonstrated no significant difference in postoperative mHHS between the two groups at six weeks and six months after surgery.
 There thus appears to be no need to enforce a defined period of partial weight bearing on crutches after hip arthroscopic surgery, irrespective of the procedure undertaken.