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Caring for your body means a holistic approach from head to toe. While this is true for any of your body’s many systems, it is especially so when it comes to your bones. Good orthopedic care means treating your body as a whole rather than simply one or two areas.

Orthopedic Care for the Entire Body

  • Head: The long-term ramifications of a concussion are still being understood, but it’s clear that they’re much greater than originally believed. This complex condition requires close management to reduce risks and complications.
  • Shoulders: Sprains, strains and arthritis are just a few of the issues you might experience in your shoulders. Working closely with Southeast Orthopedic Specialists provides you with a treatment plan designed to manage your pain, protect your range of motion and get you back to your desired activity level as quickly as possible.
  • Knees: As part of your skeleton, your knees are subjected to a great deal of wear and tear. Whether you are having issues with runner’s knee or you have severe arthritis that’s compromising your quality of life, our 47 healthcare providers are here to apply their expertise and experience to ensure that you have the best possible outcome. Our surgeons and physical therapists work in partnership to provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan designed to get you up and moving as soon as possible.
  • Back: As the structure that ties all your bones together, we pay careful attention to your back and its health. In addition to our 14 board-certified orthopedic physicians, we also have a certified chiropractor.
  • Ankles: A sprained ankle is such a benign-sounding injury that many people don’t take it nearly as seriously as they should. The proper treatment plan from the start can hasten recovery and reduce long-term problems.

Reach Out To An Orthopedic

When you need head-to-toe orthopedic care in northeast Florida, call 904.634.0640 to make your first appointment. Established patients can contact Southeast Orthopedic Specialists online to request an appointment.

Orthopedic Care from Head to Toe

Caring for your body means a holistic approach from head to toe. While this is true for any of your body’s many systems, it is especially so when it comes to your bones. Good orthopedic care means treating your body as a whole rather than simply one or two areas.

Orthopedic Care for the Entire Body

  • Head: The long-term ramifications of a concussion are still being understood, but it’s clear that they’re much greater than originally believed. This complex condition requires close management to reduce risks and complications.
  • Shoulders: Sprains, strains and arthritis are just a few of the issues you might experience in your shoulders. Working closely with Southeast Orthopedic Specialists provides you with a treatment plan designed to manage your pain, protect your range of motion and get you back to your desired activity level as quickly as possible.
  • Knees: As part of your skeleton, your knees are subjected to a great deal of wear and tear. Whether you are having issues with runner’s knee or you have severe arthritis that’s compromising your quality of life, our 47 healthcare providers are here to apply their expertise and experience to ensure that you have the best possible outcome. Our surgeons and physical therapists work in partnership to provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan designed to get you up and moving as soon as possible.
  • Back: As the structure that ties all your bones together, we pay careful attention to your back and its health. In addition to our 14 board-certified orthopedic physicians, we also have a certified chiropractor.
  • Ankles: A sprained ankle is such a benign-sounding injury that many people don’t take it nearly as seriously as they should. The proper treatment plan from the start can hasten recovery and reduce long-term problems.

Reach Out To An Orthopedic

When you need head-to-toe orthopedic care in northeast Florida, call 904.634.0640 to make your first appointment. Established patients can contact Southeast Orthopedic Specialists online to request an appointment.

Chiropractic for Orthopedic Pain Management

Patients may find that chiropractic sessions help them experience less pain. Chiropractic may be used within a patient treatment program to address a variety of conditions. Those suffering from lower back pain, chronic headaches, difficulty sleeping and more may want to investigate this therapy. Learn more about how chiropractic may benefit your well-being.

Chiropractic May Provide Orthopedic Pain Relief

Many patients are looking for alternative options for orthopedic pain relief that do not rely upon pain medications which may reduce pain but make it difficult to perform routine functions.

Chiropractic adjustments are a non-invasive and often manual therapy used to rebalance the spinal column. There has been research on chiropractic or spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) on how patients experience pain. A single session of SMT may increase the pressure pain threshold in the lumbar spine area and calf, as reported in a study published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies. This finding may be useful to those patients who would like to experience less pain and manage their chronic or acute pain. Some patients who receive chiropractic adjustments feel an immediate reduction in pain.

Chiropractic Treatment for Spine Care and More

Patients may want to explore the benefits of chiropractic adjustments as part of the therapies used for spine care. Individual response to treatment may vary. However, many patients are looking for options to reduce pain symptoms that do not interfere with other medications or therapies they may be using. Chiropractic has been used to treat a range of symptoms and is a non-invasive complementary therapy.

There are a number of therapies available to patients at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists at their six Northeast Florida locations. Speak with an associate at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists to find out more about how chiropractic may be used to address an orthopedic injury or for pain management today.

What is a Ganglion Cyst and Can It be Treated

Of all the ailments an orthopedic doctor can help cure, Ganglion cysts are one of the most common. Ganglion cysts are viscous fluid filled lumps or masses that form around joints and tendons. They tend to be firm to the touch and uniformly round. Often, orthopedic doctors will use a light to determine if the mass is translucent, indicating the mass is fluid filled and not some other type of growth.

What is a Ganglion Cyst?

Ganglion Cysts are benign and will not develop into cancer. These cysts can range in size from very tiny and unnoticeable below the skin, to larger peach pit sized lumps that appear most commonly on the palms and wrists, but also in the ankles and feet.

While not always painful, Ganglion Cysts can cause pain by asserting pressure on a nerve, or discomfort by limiting motion in a joint. The exact cause of a Ganglion cyst is not known. Anyone can develop one, but they occur more frequently in women from 20 to 40 years old. Orthopedic doctors have determined that other risk factors include those who suffer from osteoarthritis, wear and tear to joints, as well as those people who have sustained tendon or joint injuries making them more susceptible to the development of Ganglion Cysts.

Can an Orthopedic Doctor Help with Your Ganglion Cyst

The good news about Ganglion cysts is that there are several treatment options that you can discuss with your orthopedic doctor. The first option your orthopedic doctor may suggest is a simple office procedure called an aspiration. This procedure requires your orthopedic doctor to numb the area of skin where the Ganglion cyst is located and then insert a small needle to draw the fluid out of the cyst. While immediately effective, it does not remove the root of the cyst meaning the cyst may redevelop later requiring another aspiration to be done. If aspiration is not an option, your orthopedic doctor may recommend surgery to remove the cyst and underlying cause. This is most commonly done on an outpatient basis, but will require 3 to 6 weeks to for the incision to heal and full range of motion to return.

How to Care for a Sprained Ankle

If you get a sprained ankle, immediate treatment is needed. It’s important to treat the sprain correctly, as not following the right treatment protocol may result in delayed healing, or even further injury.

Tips to Care For A Sprained Ankle

Read our tips below to help you learn how to care for a sprained ankle.

Don’t Put Weight On It

The first thing to do is avoid putting weight on the sprained ankle. This may be obvious, but some people have a higher pain tolerance and may try to heroically “push through the pain.” Putting weight on the sprain will only make the sprain take longer to heal, and it might even lead to another injury such as a fracture or fall. If you sprain your ankle someplace where you can’t immediately sit or lie down, ask someone to lean on so you don’t have to bear weight on that ankle.

Elevate the Ankle

Elevate the ankle so it’s above the rest of your body in a reclining position. This helps to control the blood flow to the area, which is what leads to the swelling. You can easily elevate the ankle by resting your foot atop a pillow or folded blankets. Be sure to rest the ankle in a position that doesn’t feel painful.

Chill the Ankle For 24 Hours

For the first 24 hours, you want to chill the ankle. This will help to alleviate the swelling and inflammation so that the injury can begin to heal. Chill the ankle with a cold compress or a bag of crushed ice. Crushed ice works better than cubes because it enables the bag to conform to the shape of the ankle. Never apply ice directly to the skin. Instead, slip the ice bag into a clean sock or pillowcase and then apply to the skin for up to 20 minutes at a time, in order to avoid skin damage. After 20 minutes, wait at least 15 minutes before applying a chilled compress again.

Contact Southeast Orthopedics

After 24 hours, the ankle may still be tender, and you should switch to using warmth to stave off the discomfort. However, if after 24 hours the ankle is still painful enough that you cannot properly walk, you may need to see a doctor. Sprains are easily confused with more serious injuries, and only a professional will be able to diagnose the underlying injury.

Warning Signs of Carpal Tunnel and Texting Thumb

Continuous typing can cause repetitive motion injuries that cause pain in and affect the function of digits. Historically, carpal tunnel syndrome has been a pervasive injury caused by repeated typing. As messaging on handheld devices becomes more common, texting thumb is joining carpal tunnel syndrome as a major orthopedic issue. Here are three warning signs of these two increasingly common injuries.

Pain and Numbness in the Wrist and Fingers

Carpal tunnel is caused by over-stretching the median nerve, which runs through the carpal tunnel in the wrist and to the fingers. As this nerve is overworked, it becomes painful and may cause numbness. The symptoms may occur anywhere along where the nerve runs from the wrist to the fingers.

Popping or Clicking in the Thumb

Texting thumb is brought on by the overuse of the flexor tendon, which manipulates the thumb. Because this is a tendon, and not a nerve, the symptoms of texting thumb often manifest differently than those of carpal tunnel.

One of the first signs of texting thumb is a clicking or popping sound that occurs when the thumb is moved. The sound may occur when the thumb is moved in a specific direction or to a certain degree, or it might occur seemingly anytime the thumb is moved.

Inability to Move the Thumb

If the initial symptoms of texting thumb are ignored or go untreated, the thumb may eventually be locked in place. As the tendon is worn out, it can cause the thumb to curl. In severe cases, people may not be able to uncurl the thumb.

Seek Early Treatment by an Orthopedic Specialist

While both carpal tunnel and texting thumb can be severe, there are effective ways to treat each condition. If you’re experiencing any of these warning signs, see an orthopedic specialist who can evaluate your specific symptoms. The earlier you seek medical help, the faster the condition can be remedied.

How to Be Non-weight Bearing After Surgery

You are having ankle surgery and the doctor says you must be non-weight bearing on the affected ankle afterward, but what does that mean?

What is Non-Weight Bearing

The term non-weight bearing means you must avoid putting any of your body weight on the ankle for a designated amount of time. How does one remain non-weight bearing after surgery?

Why Being Non-Weight Bearing Matters?

When a physician puts in a non-weight bearing order it is because there is no way to know how much weight your foot or ankle can tolerate without causing damage. For this reason, non-weight bearing includes even allowing the foot to touch the ground.

How to Stay Non-Weight Bearing?

It might sound impossible but it is easier to manage than you might think. The trick is to have the right tools to help you get around without letting the foot touch the ground. The most common approach is to use crutches. If opting for crutches, make sure a medical professional provides instructions on how to use them. They must be properly adjusted to avoid putting stress on your arms and shoulders. Other options include:

Knee Scooter

A knee scooter looks like a bicycle but instead of a seat, it has a knee pad. You put your knee on the affected side on the pad and then use the other foot to push yourself forward. Your ankle and foot are safely tucked behind you to prevent any weight bearing. Like a bike, the scooter has brakes and handlebars to help you control your movement.

Seated Scooter

Just like the knee scooter but you sit on the seat instead of resting your knee on it. There are both manual and electric seated scooters available. The manual you push using the good leg and the electric are driven by a motor.

 

If you want to try either scooter, they are available for you to rent or buy.

 

Contact Orthopedic Specialists

It is not easy to remain non-weight bearing after surgery but it is important. If you ignore the doctor’s instructions, you might cause damage that you will need further surgery to fix it.

Flexibility and the Health of Your Joints

You may not give much thought to your joints on an everyday basis, but the health and flexibility of your joints is crucial to maintaining an active and pain-free lifestyle. While natural flexibility does vary from person to person, there are steps you can take to improve and maintain your flexibility–and the reasons it’s important to do so may surprise you.

The Negative Effects of Joint Inflexibility

Whether you used to be a gymnast or you always had trouble touching your toes, most people experience a loss in flexibility as they age. However, this isn’t something to be taken lightly, as poor flexibility can have significant repercussions on your overall health.

For starters, decreased flexibility can impact the health of the cartilage that surrounds many joints such as your knees and your hips; an inadequate range of motion in these joints can limit the blood supply and key nutrients necessary to maintain these support structures.

Lack of flexibility also affects your muscles. Inflexible muscles caused by joint tightness tend to tire much more quickly, which in turn forces the opposing muscle groups to work harder. This can increase your risk of muscular and joint injuries.

Poor flexibility can even cause abnormal stress on areas of your body that aren’t directly linked to the inflexible joint. For example, limited flexibility in your knee joint can cause calf tightness,

A Simple Stretching Routine to Improve Joint Flexibility

Now that you understand the importance of flexibility, how can you cultivate it? The best way to encourage a broad range of motion and improve joint health is through stretching. Incorporating a regular stretching routine into your daily life can help extend your joints’ range of motion and improve your flexibility–and potentially relieve joint pain.

The particular stretches that you should practice will depend on your specific areas of concern, but certain guidelines should be followed regardless. For all stretches, aim to maintain the position for one to two minutes; keep your stretches static rather than bouncing in an attempt to improve your range of motion. At the end of the stretch, gradually release the impacted joint.

By practicing your stretching routine daily, you can increase your range of motion and help maintain your orthopedic health.

How to Strengthen Your Ankle After a Sprain

An ankle sprain should be immediately treated with the “rice” technique. Rest, ice, compression and elevation to help avoid further injury to the ankle. After a few days of this treatment, however, the ankle is usually recovered enough to begin strengthening efforts. Here’s how to strengthen a sprained ankle in the days soon after the sprain occurs.

Adjust Your Diet

Frist, adjust your food and beverage intake so that your body gets all the nutrients it needs to heal the ankle. Avoid alcoholic drinks, as they delay the healing process of most injuries. Meanwhile, increase your intake of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C and vitamin D. All of these nutrients will help your body recover more quickly.

Some good foods to eat that have many of these nutrients include the following:

  • dairy products
  • lean red meat
  • nut and seeds
  • salmon and sardines
  • dark green vegetables

Push Against Furniture

Second, start strengthening exercises by using a piece of furniture to do some basic resistance training. A couch, love seat or large armchair works well.

Place the injured foot alongside the furniture, and point the toes outward and upward. Press with your foot against the furniture like this for 10 seconds. Then, release and repeat with the toes pointed inward and downward.

Use a Resistance Band

Third, move to a resistance band if the exercises with the furniture go well. A resistance band is used in the same fashion, by pushing against it for 10 seconds at a time and then changing positions. You can use a resistance band in several ways:

  • place it against the bottom of your foot and push down
  • place it on the top of your foot and push up
  • place it on either side of your foot and push against the band

These latter two exercises require affixing the resistance band to a post, chair leg, doorway or other object that will hold it in place. Alternatively, a friend can hold it for you.

Seek Medical Treatment

Ultimately, the fastest way to strengthen an ankle sprain is to seek treatment from a medical professional. If you’ve sprained your ankle, make an appointment with someone who can assess the ankle and prescribe a personalized strengthening regimen.

Multicenter Analysis of Midterm Clinical Outcomes of Arthroscopic Labral Repair in the Hip

Minimum 5-Year Follow-up

Mario Hevesi,* MD, Aaron J. Krych,*y MD, Nick R. Johnson,* BS, John M. Redmond,z MD, David E. Hartigan,§ MD, Bruce A. Levy,* MD, and Benjamin G. Domb,II MD

Investigation performed at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, Jacksonville, Florida, USA;

and American Hip Institute, Westmont, Illinois, USA

Background: The technique of hip arthroscopic surgery is advancing and becoming more commonly performed. However, most current reported results are limited to short-term follow-up, and therefore, the durability of the procedure is largely unknown.
Purpose: To perform a multicenter analysis of mid-term clinical outcomes of arthroscopic hip labral repair and determine the risk factors for patient outcomes.
Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.
Methods: Prospectively collected data of primary hip arthroscopic labral repair performed at 4 high-volume centers between 2008 and 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively with the visual analog scale (VAS), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), and Hip Outcome Score–Sports-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS) at a minimum of 5 years’ follow-up. Factors including age, body mass index (BMI), To¨ nnis grade, and cartilage grade were analyzed in relation to outcome scores, and revision rates were determined. Failure was defined as subsequent ipsilateral hip surgery, including revision arthroscopic surgery and open hip surgery.
Results: A total of 303 patients (101 male, 202 female) with a mean age of 32.0 years (range, 10.7-58.9 years) were followed for a mean of 5.7 years (range, 5.0-7.9 years). Patients achieved mean improvements in VAS of 3.5 points, mHHS of 20.1 points, and HOS-SSS of 29.3 points. Thirty-seven patients (12.2%) underwent revision arthroscopic surgery, and 12 (4.0%) underwent peri- acetabular osteotomy, resurfacing, or total hip arthroplasty during the study period. Patients with a BMI .30 kg/m2 had a mean mHHS score 9.5 points lower and a mean HOS-SSS score 15.9 points lower than those with a BMI :::30 kg/m2 (P \ .01). Patients aged .35 years at surgery had a mean mHHS score 4.5 points lower and a HOS-SSS score 6.7 points lower than those aged :::35 years (P = .03). Patients with To¨ nnis grade 2 radiographs demonstrated a 12.5-point worse mHHS score (P = .02) and a 23.0-point worse HOS-SSS score (P \ .01) when compared with patients with To¨ nnis grade 0.
Conclusion: Patients demonstrated significant improvements in VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS scores after arthroscopic labral repair. However, those with To¨ nnis grade 2 changes preoperatively, BMI .30 kg/m2, and age .35 years at the time of surgery demonstrated significantly decreased mHHS and HOS-SSS scores at final follow-up.
Keywords: hip arthroscopic surgery; midterm; labral repair; clinical outcomes; VAS; mHHS; HOS-SSS

Hip pain and the development of osteoarthritis have been strongly associated with structural abnormalities of the hip joint including chondral injuries, labral tears, and fem- oroacetabular impingement (FAI).4,24,35,42 Traditionally, the treatment of hip disorders required open approaches; however, there has been a contemporary shift to less inva- sive management of these lesions.6  Hip arthroscopic surgery was popularized in the late 2000s, and there has been a dramatic increase in its recent use, as it has been shown to be safe and efficacious in short-term studies.7,28 Initial arthroscopic management of acetabular labral injuries was in the form of debridement, and this has been shown to have modest outcomes at mid-term follow- up, with 20% of hips requiring subsequent surgery and an additional 25% of hips rating function as abnormal or severely  abnormal  at  5  years’  follow-up. Subsequent efforts to preserve the labrum through repair have demon- strated promising short-term outcomes, with significantly greater improvements in the Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL) and HOS–Sports-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS) when compared with isolated debridement.37 However, longer follow-up is currently underreported. As such, it is largely unknown whether early improvements after labral repair will be durable over time.

Short-term studies have additionally established that body mass index (BMI) and increased patient age are risk factors for decreased patient-reported outcomes postoperatively.27,30,39,53 However, the preoperative Tonnis grade, which had previously been postulated to be a negative predictor of outcomes, has not been shown to have significant postoperative effects in large, matched cohorts.13,14

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (1) outline the clinical mid-term patient-reported outcomes of arthroscopic hip labral repair at a minimum 5 years of follow-up, (2) determine the applicability of short-term risk factors on mid- to long-term outcomes, and (3) establish novel risk fac- tors as patient groups differentiate over time. Our hypothe- ses were that (1) patients would demonstrate durable improvements in patient-reported outcome scores at mid- term follow-up, (2) previously established short-term risk factors such as increased BMI and patient age would predict worse mid-term outcomes, and (3) an increased preoperative To¨nnis grade would negatively affect mid- to long-term out- comes as patients with varying degrees of pre-existing oste- oarthritis differentiate over time.

METHODS

Study Population and Design

This retrospective clinical and radiographic study included all eligible patients undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery after the failure of nonoperative management at 4 high- volume hip arthroscopic surgery centers (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona; Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, Jacksonville, Florida; and American Hip Institute, Westmont, Illinois). Patients consented to participate in research after institutional review board approval of the study design (#08-002259). Inclusion criteria consisted of all patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopic  surgery between February 2008 and December 2011 who consented to research participation with labral repair performed at the time of surgery. Exclusion criteria consisted of less than 5 years of clinical follow-up, patients choosing not to participate in outcome surveys, labral debridement, labral reconstruction, and previous hip surgery. Patients with bilateral hip arthroscopic surgery, both simultaneous and staged, were included and noted in our database. Indications for arthroscopic surgery included labral tears, chondral injuries, and FAI that had failed nonoperative management. The prospectively collected institutional databases contained the records of 449 primary hip arthroscopic procedures with labral repair performed during the study period for potential inclusion. Of these, 146 patients were excluded because they had less than 5 years of clinical follow-up, resulting in 303 patients for inclusion in this study.

Surgical Technique

Arthroscopic hip surgery was performed by experienced arthroscopic surgeons (A.J.K., J.M.R., D.E.H., B.A.L., B.G.D.) in an operative setting. Patients were positioned in a modified supine position, and 2 or more portals were employed, including the anterolateral and midanterior portals. Positioning and approaches have been previously described in detail.8,40,54 Diagnostic arthroscopic surgery was performed to directly evaluate the articular and labral status. Correction of cam and pincer lesions was per- formed when present.16,17 All patients underwent labral repair with concurrent debridement as indicated, employing standard techniques.18,23,34 Psoas release was performed in the setting of clinically painful iliopsoas snapping reproduced on physical examination. Capsular repair was performed at the discretion of the operating surgeon, with its use favored  in the setting of young patients participating in high-demand activities, patients demonstrating hip or generalized laxity such as that easily translated under femoral head traction, and those with dysplastic radiographic features.

Rehabilitation Protocol

Patients underwent standard postoperative rehabilitation and pain relief protocols, which were consistent between physicians at the same institution and similar between institutions. Patients were placed on crutches for 2 to 4 weeks with foot-flat partial weightbearing. Passive motion was started at 0 weeks. As crutches were gradually discontinued, patients progressed through institutional rehabilitation protocols, which have been previously outlined in detail for the centers involved.21,50 Jogging exercises began at 3 months, as tolerated, and return to sport was allowed at 5 to 6 months.

Outcome Measures

Demographic data such as age at the time of surgery, BMI, and sex were collected. In addition, preoperative radiographic measures such as Tonnis grade,51 alpha angle,2 and lateral center edge angle (LCEA)41 were noted. Hips with an LCEA \25° were classified as dysplastic. Surgical diagnoses such as the presence of cam and/or pincer lesions, femoral and acetabular chondromalacia as defined by the Outerbridge45 and acetabular labrum articular disruption (ALAD)9 classification systems, and surgical techniques such as ligamentum teres debridement and psoas release were documented using a standardized data form. Subjective preoperative and postoperative outcomes were documented using the visual analog scale (VAS),38 modi- fied Harris Hip Score (mHHS),29 and HOS-SSS.43 The completion rate for each individual outcome scale was 2:89.3%. Failure was defined as subsequent ipsilateral hip surgery, including revision arthroscopic surgery, open hip surgery, and conversion to hip replacement.

Statistical Analysis

Descriptive statistics were used to present demographic data, employing means and SDs, percentages, and medians with interquartile ranges (IQRs), as appropriate. Factors such as BMI, sex, laterality, and intraoperative cartilage grade were examined for their association with outcome measures such as VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient for continuous variables, independent sample t tests for differences between nominal values, and analysis of variance for categorical variables such as Tonnis, femoral, and acetabular cartilage grades. After analysis of single-factor predictors, stepwise linear regression was performed employing the Akaike information criterion to identify the optimal set of explanatory variables for postoperative outcome scores.1 The Wilcoxon rank-sum test (Mann-Whitney U test) was used to compare ordinal variables such as preoperative and postoperative VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS  scores. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to determine predictors of postoperative failure.

A priori analysis was used to determine the mean group sample size needed to demonstrate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for patient-reported outcome scores at an alpha of 0.05 and power of 0.80. Using the study by Chahal et al,12 in which MCID cutoffs were determined for mHHS and HOS-SSS at 3, 6, and 12 months after hip arthroscopic labral repair for FAI, the most conservative MCID value presented for each outcome measure was selected, resulting in a cutoff of 9.0 points for mHHS and 25.0 points for HOS-SSS. Additionally, based on a study of arthritic hip pain in 211 patients, an MCID of 2.0 points was established for VAS.52 Employing these values and out- come score distributions derived from previous studies on hip arthroscopic labral repair, the mean group sample size needed to demonstrate the MCID was determined to be 48 for mHHS, 12 for HOS-SSS, and 21 for VAS.32 P values\.05 were considered significant. Analyses were conducted in R version 3.4.0 (R Core Team).

RESULTS

Using institutional databases comprising cases of hip arthroscopic surgery performed from February 2008 to December 2011 at 4 institutions, we identified 303 patients with 2:5 year

s of clinical follow-up. The mean age at the time of surgery was 32.0 years, the mean BMI was 24.4 kg/m2, and the mean duration of follow-up was 5.7 years (range, 5.0-7.9 years) (Table 1). In terms of preoperative radiographic measures, Tonnis grade 0 predominated (72.1%), followed by grade 1 (24.2%) and grade 2 (3.7%). The median alpha angle was 56.9° (IQR, 49.0°-67.0°), and the median LCEA was 30.0° (IQR, 26.5°-34.0°). Of note, right-sided surgery (58.1%) was significantly more com- mon than left-sided surgery (41.9%) (P \ .01), and women (66.7%) were represented to a greater proportion than men (33.3%) (P \ .001).

 

Four patients underwent bilateral hip surgery, with both hips included in the dataset with a minimum 5 years of follow-up. Of these, 1 pair of hips underwent surgery simultaneously, and another 3 pairs underwent surgery in a staged manner, with the 2 procedures separated by 4.5 to 24.6 months. An additional 5 patients underwent hip arthroscopic surgery performed in a staged manner, with the second hip performed after December 2011 and thus had less than 5 years of follow-up. In these cases, the first hip was included in the dataset.

Patients underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for a combination of hip dysplasia (n = 50), cam lesions (n = 200), pincer lesions (n = 66), and labral lesions (n = 303) in the setting of varied acetabular and femoral chondromalacia (Table 2). For patients with dysplasia, the mean LCEA was 21.5° (range, 13.0°-24.9°).

Ligamentum teres debridement was performed in 37.6% of the study population, psoas release in 38.3%, and capsular repair in 48.5%. The total failure rate was observed to be 16.2%, with 49 of 303 patients undergoing revision hip surgery during the course of follow-up. Of these, 7 went on to total hip arthroplasty, 2 underwent hip resurfacing, 2 underwent periacetabular osteotomy   alone,   37   underwent   revision   arthroscopic management, and 1 patient  underwent revision  arthroscopic management, followed by periacetabular osteotomy, at a later time. All patients going on to periacetabular osteotomy did so in the setting of hip dysplasia.

 

A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was constructed to evaluate preoperative and intraoperative findings predictive of subsequent failure and the progres- sion to ipsilateral hip surgery. No significant predictors of failure were noted (Table 3). Dysplasia did not predict subsequent ipsilateral hip surgery, whether defined as an LCEA \25° (P = .56) or an LCEA \20° (P = .60).

VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS scores were all observed to significantly improve (P \ .001) between preoperative values and final follow-up at 5.0 to 7.9 years postoperatively (Figure 1). VAS score decreased a mean of 3.5 points after surgery, whereas mHHS and HOS-SSS scores increased by 20.1 and 29.3 points, respectively. Analysis was conducted to explore whether the institution or performing surgeon had an effect on outcome scores. The location and provider were found to be nonsignificant in predicting VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS scores at final follow-up (P 2: .11) when accounting for patient age, BMI, and Tonnis grade.

BMI was found to be significantly and negatively corre- lated to final mHHS (P \ .001) and HOS-SSS (P \ .001) scores. It was nonsignificant for predicting VAS scores (P = .33). This pattern was also present for age at the time of surgery, with a significant negative correlation with final mHHS (P = .02) and HOS-SSS (P \ .01) scores and nonsignificance in terms of VAS scores (P = .66).

On average, patients with a BMI .30 kg/m2 had a final mHHS score 9.5 points lower (mean mHHS score, 74.0) than those with a BMI :::30 kg/m2  (mean mHHS score,83.5) (P \ .01) and demonstrated a HOS-SSS score 15.9 points lower (mean HOS-SSS score, 57.0) than those with a BMI :::30 kg/m2 (mean HOS-SSS score, 72.9) (P \ .001) (Figure 2). Patients aged .35 years at the time of surgery had a final mHHS score 4.5 points lower (mean mHHS score, 79.8) than those aged :::35 years (mean mHHS score, 84.3) (P = .03) and similarly demonstrated a HOS-SSS score 6.7 points lower (mean HOS-SSS score, 67.1) than those aged :::35 years (mean HOS-SSS score, 73.8) (P =.03) (Figure 3). Patients with a BMI .30 kg/m2 achieved mean improvements in the VAS of 4.0, the  mHHS  of 19.1, and the HOS-SSS of 29.2 postoperatively, whereas patients aged .35 years had mean improvements of 3.2 in the VAS, 17.5 in the mHHS, and 27.3 in the HOS-SSS. As such, both groups, while statistically inferior in outcomes as compared with patients with a BMI :::30 kg/m2 and age :::35 years, surpassed the MCID for each patient-reported score (2.0, 9.0, and 25.0, respectively).

Additionally, patients with Tonnis grade 2 preoperatively were found to have a 12.5-point worse mHHS score (P = .02) and 23.0-point worse HOS-SSS score

 (P \ .01) at the time of follow-up as compared with patients with Tonnis grade 0 (Figure 4). VAS demonstrated no significant association with the Tonnis grade. No significant differences in the mHHS or HOS-SSS were found when comparing patients with grade 0 and grade 1 radiographs preoperatively. Patients presenting with To¨nnis grade 2 changes achieved final mean improvements in the VAS of 3.7 points (P = .0.01), surpassing the MCID. However, the mean HOS-SSS score decreased nonsignificantly from 72.1 preoperatively to 71.0 postoperatively (P = .84), while the mean HOS-SSS score decreased from 68.8 preoperatively to 49.5 postoperatively (P = .66) in Tonnis grade 2 patients.

The preoperative alpha angle, LCEA, sex, laterality, intra- operative femoral and acetabular cartilage grades, ligamen- tum teres debridement, psoas release, and capsular repair were found to be nonsignificant at predicting VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS scores.

After univariate analysis, multifactorial analysis for predictors of each of the 3 patient-reported outcomes was performed using stepwise regression employing the Akaike information criterion. As previously observed in univariate analysis, no significant predictors of the final VAS score were found. It was determined that the optimum model for both the mHHS and HOS-SSS at final follow-up was through the combination of BMI and Tonnis grade. As such, patients with a BMI .30 kg/m2 and Tonnis grade 2 preoperatively were modeled to have the worst outcomes, whereas patients with a BMI :::30 kg/m2 and Tonnis grade  0 to 1 were predicted to experience the most favorable results after arthroscopic labral repair (Table 4). 

 

DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical out- comes of arthroscopic hip labral repair at a minimum 5 years of follow-up as well as to determine the risk factors for worse patient outcomes. Our hypothesis was supported in that patients demonstrated durable improvements in VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS scores at mid-term follow-up. In addition, we found that increasing Tonnis grade, patient BMI, and age at the time of surgery significantly predicted worse outcomes.

Our finding that patient outcomes demonstrated significant and sustained improvement at 5 years after hip arthro- scopic surgery is an extension of the previous literature that has demonstrated well-established short-term efficacy and favorable outcomes in terms of VAS,13 mHHS,11,20,33 and HOS-SSS scores.20 As longer term outcomes become available for analysis, recent studies have demonstrated mid- term benefits of hip arthroscopic surgery in the setting of FAI and labral tears. However, the sample size for most studies has been relatively small, and we believe that this study is among the largest cohorts with the longest mean follow-up when reviewing the current literature.25,31,44,47,49 As such, we believe that this study supports the durable outcomes previously described at mid-term follow-up while adding statistical power and decreasing the propensity for type 2 errors present in smaller sample sizes.

In terms of the VAS, our findings demonstrated a mean postoperative VAS score within the SD of the overall VAS score observed for 935 hips previously described at 2:2 years of follow-up.13 It is noteworthy that our mean VAS score fell below the point estimates for the Tonnis grade 0, 1, and 2 subgroups reported in the prior study; however, our population was 12.8 years younger at the time of surgery, making direct comparisons between study populations difficult. In terms of our findings associating increasing To¨nnis grade with decreasing outcome scores, it has been previously reported in large matched-cohort studies that  VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS scores are not significantly affected by the preoperative  Tonnis grade at 2 years of follow-up.13,14 Our findings are significant in that they suggest that preoperative osteoarthritis evolves over time, causing significant effects in mHHS and HOS-SSS at mid-term fol- low-up, which are not apparent earlier in patients’ clinical courses. This was especially noticeable in mHHS and HOS-SSS scores for patients with Tonnis grade 2 radio- graphs, which decreased nonsignificantly postoperatively, failing to meet the MCID. In comparison, patients with Tonnis grade 0 to 1 changes demonstrated significant postoperative improvements in mHHS and HOS-SSS as well as VAS, which surpassed the MCID. This highlights the importance of large cohorts with extended follow-up as outcomes can differentiate over the course of many years. Future studies should aim to investigate outcome  score  trends over time as well as correlate these outcomes to postoperative radiographic signs of arthritis.

In terms of mHHS, we observed postoperative scores that approximated the findings of Kamath et al,33 who demonstrated a mean mHHS score of 80.4 at 4.8 years in their sample of labral tears managed arthroscopically. When comparing our subgroup of patients aged .35 years to their sample, which had an average age of 42 years, the difference in the observed postoperative mHHS score is 0.6, suggesting relative homogeneity between our outcomes and those found at the university and private hospital included in their study. Similarly, our HOS-SSS scores are similar to values previously presented for both adolescents and recreational athletes at short-term follow-up.20,53

A meta-analysis comprising 107 study populations and 9044 hips at 2:1 year by Levy et al39 demonstrated that increasing patient age negatively predicts mHHS and HOS-SSS scores. Similarly, the study suggested that increasing BMI predicts worse HOS-SSS scores. In terms of age, there has been a significant amount of data associating age-related chondropathy with worse outcomes as well as identifying increasing age as an independent negative predictor of postoperative outcomes and as a risk factor for subsequent conversion to total hip arthroplasty, especially  in those patients over 40 years of age.27,30 However, meta-analyses have focused on stratifying the risk of revision and have been limited by differences in outcome scores collected by various studies as well as by their combination of relatively dissimilar and individually small sample sizes. We believe that this cohort serves as the first single-study sample to describe the association between increased age and worsened mid-term outcomes after hip arthroscopic surgery.

Our finding of increased BMI being associated with worse patient outcome scores has also been described previously in the short-term literature. A recent work correlated increasing BMI and decreased mHHS and HOS-SSS values at 2 years’ follow-up in a population of relatively young recreational and amateur athletes.53 These findings  have  also been described in larger cross-sectional samples, such as the previously mentioned meta-analysis by Levy et al,39 which demonstrated a significant correlation between increasing BMI in 3149 hips and decreasing HOS-SSS and HOS-ADL scores. Finally, a 2-study meta-analysis associated BMI 2:30 kg/m2 with both decreased mHHS and Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS) scores as compared with nonobese controls as well as an increased risk of revision arthroscopic surgery and total hip arthroplasty at 2.5 years of follow-up.3 The current study, however, remains the only study to extend these findings to mid-term follow-up, suggesting that increased BMI and patient age have lasting effects on patient outcomes. It is noteworthy that there is likely a considerable degree of interplay between age, BMI, and osteoarthritis for most patients; however, each  has been established as an independent risk factor for failure after hip arthroscopic surgery.30,39,46 With the exception of the isolated VAS improvements observed in patients presenting with preoperative Tonnis grade 2 radiographs, patients at risk for poorer outcomes because of increased BMI and age achieved significant improvements in VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS, reaching the MCID in all 3 scales, albeit to a lower magnitude than their younger and lower BMI counterparts. As such, our findings suggest that while outcomes are com- promised in these patients, hip arthroscopic labral repair may still provide significant relief and improvement in function.

While the 4 institutions and use of 3 outcome scales (VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS) are relative strengths of our study, future investigations should aim to include additional arthroscopic surgery centers and outcome measures as the prior literature contains a variety of measurement tools, such as the NAHS,11,19 International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12),22,26 and Functional Activity Assessment,5,48 for which further outcome research is merited. An  associated  limitation  of our study is the inherent difficulty of mid-term to long-term clinical follow-up in a young and healthy patient popu- lation and ensuring that patients fill out multiple time-con- suming scales at each clinical visit. Although we believe that our data performed well at a 2:89.3% completion rate for each scale, future studies should aim to achieve near 100% response rates as relationships may  exist between patient outcomes and patient propensity to complete surveys. Additionally, while Tonnis grade is a reasonable surrogate for degree of joint involvement and chondral damage, further studies may also consider noting the intraoperative surface area of chondral damage in addition to the Outerbridge grade. Our study also contains biases inherent to a retrospective review, namely, selection bias and reliance on accurate and complete record keeping.

In summary, our data suggest that improvements in VAS, mHHS, and HOS-SSS scores outlined in previous studies are durable through mid-term follow-up. Additionally, this study reinforces the association between increased BMI and patient age and worse patient outcomes after hip arthroscopic surgery. Our finding that patients with a higher preoperative Tonnis grade have worse outcomes at mid-term follow-up is novel in that this differentiation was not apparent in previous short-term studies, suggesting that patients grouped by preoperative radiographic arthritis clinically differentiate over the course of extended follow-up. As such, we believe that this study’s  significance lies in its  ability to support  hip arthroscopic surgery in providing sustained relief for labral tears and FAI as well as in providing both univariate and multivariate preoperative measures that can serve as enduring predictors of clinical outcomes for the surgeon selecting and counseling patients for hip arthroscopic surgery.

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3 Things You Should Know About Hip Flexor Strains

A hip flexor strain occurs when your hip flexor muscles become injured through various activities that cause the muscles to overstretch or hyperextend. Such strains can vary in severity, from minor injuries which can be treated at home to severe strains that need medical attention.

Where are your hip flexors located and how can they become injured?

Your hip flexors are the group of muscles that connect your femur in your upper leg to your hips, groin and lower back. This set of muscles works together to help you move around and stabilize yourself.

Through overuse or overstretching, the muscles and tendons that make up your hip flexors can become injured. Because your hip flexors are most engaged when you bring your knees up, activities that involve this motion such as running, dancing and martial arts are most likely to result in hip flexor strain.

What are the typical signs of a hip flexor strain?

Sharp pain in the pelvis or hip area is the most common symptom of a hip flexor strain and usually appears suddenly after the injury has occurred. You may also experience cramping in your upper leg muscles, tenderness or swelling in the area, muscle spasms in your thighs or hips, and overall reduced mobility and strength in your hips and upper legs.

How should you treat a hip flexor strain?

Minor hip flexor strains can typically be treated at home. Resting the muscles and avoiding activities that can aggravate the injury can help encourage healing. To deal with the pain associated with such an injury, you can apply a compression wrap, use ice or heat on the injured area, or take over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or ibuprofen.

If you continue to experience pain in your hip flexors after 10 days, medical attention may be needed; in severe cases, physical therapy or even surgery may be necessary. Contact the orthopedic doctors at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists to learn more about your treatment options and our orthopedic services.

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