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. 2020 Oct 28;8(10):2325967120960689.
doi: 10.1177/2325967120960689. eCollection 2020 Oct.

Pain Scores and Activity Tolerance in the Early Postoperative Period After Hip Arthroscopy

Laylaa Ramos  1 , Matthew J Kraeutler  2 , Eric Marty  1 , K Linnea Welton  3 , Tigran Garabekyan  4 , Omer Mei-Dan  1
Affiliations

Pain Scores and Activity Tolerance in the Early Postoperative Period After Hip Arthroscopy

Laylaa Ramos et al. Orthop J Sports Med. .

Abstract

Background: Despite the rapid growth in the use of hip arthroscopy, standardized data on postoperative pain scores and activity level are lacking.

Purpose: To quantify narcotic consumption and use of the stationary bicycle in the early postoperative period after hip arthroscopy.

Study design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: In this prospective case series, patients undergoing a primary hip arthroscopy procedure by a single surgeon were asked to fill out a daily survey for 9 days postoperatively. Patients were asked to report their pain level each day on a visual analog scale from 1 to 10, along with the amount of narcotic pain pills they used during those postoperative days (PODs). Narcotic usage was converted to a morphine-equivalent dosage (MED) for each patient. Patients were also instructed to cycle daily starting on the night of surgery for a minimum of 3 minutes twice per day and were asked to rate their pain as a percentage of their preoperative pain level and the number of minutes spent cycling on a stationary bicycle per day.

Results: A total of 212 patients were enrolled in this study. Pain levels (POD1, 5.5; POD4, 3.8; POD9, 2.9; P < .0001) and the percentage of preoperative pain (POD1, 51.6%; POD4, 31.8%; POD9, 29.5%; P < .01) significantly decreased over the study period. The amount of narcotics used per day (reported in MED) also significantly decreased (POD1, 27.3; POD4, 22.3; POD9, 8.5; P < .0001). By POD4, 41% of patients had discontinued all narcotics, and by POD9, 65% of patients were completely off narcotic medication. Patients were able to significantly increase the number of minutes spent cycling each day (POD1, 7.6 minutes; POD4, 13.8 minutes; POD9, 19.0 minutes; P < .0001). Patients who received a preoperative narcotic prescription for the affected hip were significantly more likely to require an additional postoperative narcotic prescription (P < .001).

Conclusion: Patients can expect a rapid decrease in narcotic consumption along with a high degree of activity tolerance in the early postoperative period after hip arthroscopy.

Keywords: femoroacetabular impingement; hip arthroscopy; narcotics; pain management.

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Conflict of interest statement

One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: K.L.W. has received education payments from Smith & Nephew, grant support from Arthrex, and hospitality payments from Smith & Nephew. T.G. has received consulting fees from Stryker and hospitality payments from Smith & Nephew. O.M.-D. has received education payments from Arthrex; research support from Stryker; consulting fees from Stryker, Smith & Nephew, and ArthroCare; nonconsulting fees from Smith & Nephew and Arthrex; and royalties from Stryker; and has stock/stock options in MITA. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.

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