EP9.7 Hip Arthroscopy in Veterans: Clinical Outcomes with Minimum 2-Year Follow-Up

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To investigate outcomes of veteran patients who underwent primary arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and labral tears with a minimum 2-year follow-up and compare to a non-veteran propensity matched cohort. Methods Data was collected and analyzed from a prospectively maintained institutional registry for patients who underwent arthroscopic treatment of labral tears and FAI between 2009 and 2023. Included patients had documented veteran status and underwent primary labral repair during hip arthroscopy. Patients were excluded if they had prior hip surgeries, prior hip conditions, or worker’s compensation claims. Patients also completed preoperative and postoperative questionnaires for Patients Reported Outcomes (PROs) at minimum 2- year follow-up including Modified Harris Hip Scores (mHHS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12) and Hip Outcome Score-Sport Scale (HOS-SSS). Patient demographics, radiographic indications and rates of revision surgery and conversion to Total Hip Comparison (THA) were also recorded. Results 13 veteran patients met inclusion criteria with a minimum of 2-year follow-up. All demonstrated significant postoperative improvement across all patient-reported outcomes, including mHHS, VAS, NAHS, iHOT-12, and HOS-SSS (p < 0.05). The majority of veterans achieved clinically meaningful improvement, with MCID rates exceeding 80% for most PROs. When compared with a propensity-matched non-veteran cohort, no statistically significant differences were observed in postoperative outcomes or complication rates (p > 0.05). Conclusion Veteran patients undergoing arthroscopic treatment for femoroacetabular impingement and labral tears achieved significant functional improvements and high rates of clinical success at short-term follow-up. Outcomes were comparable to those of a matched non-veteran cohort, suggesting that military status alone does not adversely affect postoperative recovery or patient-reported outcomes following hip arthroscopy.