Determining Clinically Meaningful Thresholds for the Hip Outcome Score Sport-Specific Subscale in Athletes Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome
Authors: Owens JS, Jimenez AE, Lee MS, George T, Maldonado DR, Domb BG
Journal: American Journal of Sports Medicine, September 2022
DOI: 10.1177/03635465221114400
Background
This study aimed to define clinically meaningful thresholds for the Hip Outcome Score Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS) in athletes undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).
Methods
- Included 225 athletes who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS.
- Established thresholds for minimal clinically important difference (MCID), patient acceptable symptom state (PASS), and substantial clinical benefit (SCB).
Key Findings
- Significant improvements in HOS-SSS were observed at 2-year follow-up.
- Thresholds identified: PASS = 77.0, SCB = 92.7, MCID = 10.6.
Conclusions
These benchmarks provide clinicians with objective cutoffs to evaluate meaningful recovery and treatment success after hip arthroscopy in athletes with FAIS.
What Does This Mean for Providers
- Utilize these thresholds to interpret postoperative HOS-SSS scores and guide clinical decision-making.
- Helps identify which patients have achieved clinically meaningful improvement versus those who may require further intervention or rehabilitation.
- Enhances patient counseling by providing concrete targets for functional recovery.