Hip arthroscopy often not the best option for older patients

(HealthDay)—Many patients in their 60s who have hip arthroscopy need total hip arthroplasty (THA) within two years, according to research published in the April issue of Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery.

William Schairer, M.D., of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and colleagues reviewed information from two surgical databases. One was in California, the other was in Florida. The investigators identified 7,351 patients who'd had hip arthroscopy and at least two years of medical follow-up. The mean age of the patients was 44, and 58.8 percent of the group was female.

The researchers found that, overall, 11.7 percent of patients had THA within two years of having a hip arthroscopy. Patients who had hip arthroscopy in hospitals that performed a high volume of those procedures were less likely to need THA within two years. The researchers also found other risk factors that increased the odds of needing THA. These included older age (over 60), obesity, or osteoarthritis. Rates of THA were lowest in patients under 40.

"Hip arthroscopy is performed in patients of various ages, including middle-aged and elderly patients," the authors write. "Older patients have a higher rate of conversion to THA, as do patients with osteoarthritis or obesity."

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