Subspine Hip Impingement: Clinical and Radiographic Results of its Arthroscopic Treatment

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and radiographic results as well as complications related to patients undergoing arthroscopic treatment of subspine hip impingement. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 25 patients (28 hips) who underwent arthroscopic treatment of subspine impingement between January 2012 and June 2018. The mean follow-up was 29.5 months, and the patients were evaluated clinically by using the Harris hip score modified by Byrd (MHHS), the non-arthritic hip score (NAHS), and in terms of internal rotation and hip flexion. In addition, the following items were evaluated by imaging exams: the center-edge (CE) acetabular angle, the Alpha angle, the presence of a sign of the posterior wall, the degree of arthrosis, the presence of heterotopic hip ossification, and the Hetsroni classification for subspine impingement. Results: There was an average postoperative increase of 26.9 points for the MHHS, 25.4 for the NAHS (p < 0.0001), 10.5° in internal rotation (p < 0.0024), and 7.9° for hip flexion (p < 0.0001). As for the radiographic evaluation, an average reduction of 3.3° in the CE angle and of 31.6° for the Alpha angle (p < 0.0001). Eighteen cases (64.3%) were classified as grade 0 osteoarthritis of Tönnis, and 10 (35.7%) were classified as Tönnis grade 1. Two cases (7.1%) presented grade 1 ossification of Brooker. Most hips (n = 15, 53.6%) were classified as type II of Hetsroni et al. Conclusion: In the present study, patients undergoing arthroscopic treatment with subspine impingement showed improvement in clinical aspects and radiographic patterns measured postoperatively, with an average follow-up of 29.5 months.