Orthopedics Today reports on the results of an HSS study led by hip and knee surgeon, Alexander S. McLawhorn, MD, MBA, which showed patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for osteoarthritis (OA) had a high conversion rate to total hip arthroplasty (THA), and an increased risk of revision within two years.

Dr. McLawhorn and colleagues stratified patients into two groups based on whether they had undergone hip arthroscopy for OA prior to THA. Researchers considered the frequency of revision THA within two years of primary THA as the primary outcome, while other outcomes included revision for specific failure modes such as aseptic loosening, periprosthetic joint infection, periprosthetic fracturs and dislocation at two years after primary THA. Among the 2,617 patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for OA, results showed a conversion rate of 68.4 percent to THA within two years.

“This study suggests that hip arthroscopy for hip arthritis in older patients is a low-value procedure,” said Dr. McLawhorn. “The majority of identified patients went on to total hip replacement within 2 years of their arthroscopy, and hip arthroscopy was associated with worse outcomes in these patients after hip replacement was performed,” he added.

Read the full article at Healio.com/orthopedics. 

Additional coverage: Orthospinenews.com.