Prospective Analysis of Arthroscopic Hip Anatomic Labral Repair Utilizing Knotless Suture Anchor Technology: The Controlled-Tension Anatomic Technique at Minimum 2-Year Follow-up.

Background: Labral tears are the most common abnormalities in patients undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery. Appropriate management is crucial, as it has been shown that better overall outcomes can be achieved with labral restoration.

Purpose: To report the patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at minimum 2-year follow-up of patients who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for labral tear repair using the knotless controlled-tension anatomic technique in the setting of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: Data were prospectively collected for patients who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for FAIS for labral tear repair using the knotless controlled-tension anatomic technique. Patients were excluded if they had prior hip conditions, prior ipsilateral surgery, Tönnis grade >1, a lateral center-edge angle (LCEA) <25°, or workers' compensation claims. Preoperative and postoperative scores at minimum 2-year follow-up were recorded for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), Hip Outcome Score-Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12), and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain. The proportion of patients who achieved the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) or patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) for the mHHS, HOS-SSS, and iHOT-12 were also reported.

Results: A total of 309 hips were included. The mean patient age was 36.2 years (range, 12.8-75.9 years). The mean preoperative LCEA and alpha angle were 31.9° and 57.1°, respectively. A significant improvement on the mHHS (62.6 ± 15.7 preoperatively vs 86.9 ± 16.2 at 2-year follow-up), NAHS (63.1 ± 16.7 vs 86.1 ± 16.7), and HOS-SSS (39.8 ± 22.0 vs 74.2 ± 27.3) was found ( < .001 for all). A significant decrease was shown for VAS scores ( < .001). Also, 78.6% and 82.2% of patients achieved the MCID and PASS for the mHHS, respectively; 60.8% and 69.9% of patients met the MCID and PASS for the HOS-SSS, respectively; and the MCID for the iHOT-12 was met by 77.3% of patients.

Conclusion: In the setting of FAIS and labral tears, patients who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for labral tear repair using the knotless controlled-tension anatomic technique demonstrated significant improvement in several validated PRO measures, the VAS pain score, and patient satisfaction at a minimum 2 years of follow-up. Based on this evidence, labral tear repair using the knotless controlled-tension anatomic technique seems to be a safe option.