Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the 30-day postoperative complications after
hip arthroscopy as a function of patient age. The American College of Surgeons National
Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2005 to 2016 was used to identify
all patients undergoing hip arthroscopy using Current Procedural Terminology and International
Classification of Disease codes. Patient characteristics and postoperative complications
were compared in a retrospective cohort study with a level of evidence 3 across patient
age cohorts using bivariate and multivariate analysis that corrected for differences
in baseline patient characteristics. In total, 2,427 patients undergoing hip arthroscopy
were identified. Of all identified patients, 667 (27.5%) were under 30 years of age,
596 (24.5%) were between 31 and 40, 599 (24.6%) were between 41 and 50, and 566 (23.3%)
were older than 50. Chondroplasty, abrasion arthroplasty, and/or resection of the
labrum were the most commonly performed procedures in all age groups. As age increased,
patients were more likely to be female and have a higher body mass index, more medical
comorbidities, a shorter operative duration, and a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists
class. The rate of any 30-day postoperative complication was 1.35% in patients under
30 years of age, 1.68% in patients between 31 and 40, 2.67% in patients between 41
and 50, and 5.12% in patients older than 50 (p < 0.001). Older patients also had a higher rate of deep surgical site infections
and blood transfusions (p ≤ 0.001). However, no differences were identified with multivariate analysis. While
older patients had higher short-term complications following hip arthroscopy, age
alone was not an independent predictor of adverse outcomes. Further investigation
is necessary to determine the risk factors associated with significant postoperative
morbidity in older patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.
Keywords
hip arthroscopy - arthroscopy outcomes - hip arthroscopy age - National Surgical Quality
Improvement Program
