Is Labral Size Predictive of Failure With Repair in Hip Arthroscopy?
Authors: Brinkman JC, Domb BG, Krych AJ, Levy BA, Makovicka JL, Neville M, Hartigan DE
DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2020.04.022
Background
Labral size has been hypothesized to influence the outcomes of hip arthroscopy, but evidence regarding its predictive value for surgical failure is limited. This study aimed to determine whether labral size correlates with clinical outcomes or revision rates following labral repair.
Methods
Patient-reported outcomes and revision rates were evaluated in a cohort undergoing arthroscopic labral repair. Labral size was categorized and compared across outcomes, with specific attention to whether larger labral sizes correlated with worse function or surgical failure.
Key Findings
- Patients with labra in the upper 10th percentile of size demonstrated less improvement in outcomes compared to those in the middle 50%.
- No direct association was found between labral size and the need for revision surgery or clinical failure.
- This suggests that labral size, while possibly influencing magnitude of improvement, does not independently predict repair failure.
Conclusions
Although larger labra may correspond with slightly diminished subjective improvements, labral size alone should not be used to predict surgical failure or to contraindicate repair.
What Does This Mean for Providers?
While extremely large labra may be associated with marginally reduced functional gains, labral size should not dissuade providers from pursuing repair. Labral size does not predict revision risk, and individualized assessment remains key in surgical planning.