Clinical Outcomes Following Arthroscopic Micro Fracture of the Hip

Objectives: Objective and clinical results of microfracture for treatment of chondral defects of the knee is well documented, yet outcomes for microfracture of the hip have not been extensively studied. Recently, several studies demonstrated clinical improvements in patients treated with microfracture of the hip. The purpose of this study is to examine clinical outcomes and survivorship in patients who underwent microfracture during arthroscopic hip surgery. Methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database was performed. Thirty-eight patients with a mean age of 41 (range, 17-64) who underwent microfracture during arthroscopic hip surgery by a single surgeon (senior author) were identified. Demographic data, diagnosis, and details regarding operative procedures were collected. All patients were indicated for hip arthroscopy based on standard pre-operative examination as well as routine and advanced imaging. Baseline pre-operative modified Harris Hip Scores (mHHS) and Non-Arthritic Hip Scores (NAHS) were compared to mHHS and NAHS at two-year follow-up. Additionally, survivorship data was assessed to determine failure, defined as any subsequent revision arthroscopic surgery and/or hip arthroplasty of the same hip. Results: Thirty-four of the 38 (89.5%) patients were available for two-year clinical follow-up. Baseline mean mHHHS and NAHS for all patients improved from 50.6 (+/- 12.7) and 46.9 (+/-12.8) to 84.7 (+/- 12.5) and 85.6 (+/- 11.2) respectively. Both improvements were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Eight patients (23.5%) met failure criteria and underwent additional surgery at an average of 23.9 months. Two patients (5.8%) underwent revision arthroscopic surgery, and six patients (17.7%) underwent hip arthroplasty. Conclusion: Significant improvements in clinical outcomes are seen at two-year follow-up after microfracture treatment of chondral lesions of the hip. Despite overall success, failure rates are relatively high. As with microfracture of the knee, results favor short-term clinical improvements, but results may decline at two years. Larger studies are needed to fully assess the efficacy of microfracture in arthroscopic hip surgery.