Return to Elite Level of Play and Performance in Professional Golfers After Arthroscopic Hip Surgery

Abstract

Background: Hip conditions, such as femoroacetabular impingement and labral injury, can cause pain and limit the ability to play sports at a professional level. Purpose: To evaluate performance metrics of professional golfers prior to arthroscopic hip surgery and after surgery. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: This study included professional golfers who underwent arthroscopic hip surgery. Primary outcome variables were greens in regulation and driving distance. Metrics were recorded for 2 years prior to arthroscopic hip surgery and 1, 2, and 5 years after arthroscopy. Results: A consecutive cohort of 20 male professional golfers (27 hips) from 2000 to 2011 underwent arthroscopic hip surgery by a single surgeon. All players were on the PGA Tour with a mean age of 38 years (range, 26-54 years). Eleven hips had labral repair and 16 had labral debridements. Four hips required microfracture of a chondral lesion. All players returned to play at a mean of 4.7 months (range, 1 month to 2 years). The mean number of years played after surgery was 5.72. There was no significant difference between preoperative and postoperative greens in regulation (P =.227). The mean distance per golf drive was significantly longer at 1 and 2 years postoperative compared with prior to surgery (P