CLINICAL RESULTS OF RECALIBRATING THE FEMORAL HEAD/NECK OFFSET IN PATIENTS PRESENTING A FEMOROACETABULAR CAM EFFECT

Abstract

The femoroacetabular conflict is a recognized cause of hip pain in young patients. It is associated with rim tears. Two types of conflict have been described: impingement due to retroversion of the acetabulum and «cam effect» associated with insufficient head/neck offset. A recent subject of debate has been isolated treatment of the rim tear without treating the often unrecognized bone anomaly. The purpose of this study was to assess short-term outcome after surgical remodeling of the head/neck junction for the treatment of femoroacetabular conflicts.

Material and methods: There were 37 hips (18 men and 16 women) with chronic pain for more than three months. Mean patient age was 41 years (range 24–52). Preoperative 3D CT and MRI with gadolinium arthrography were available for all patients. Surgical remodeling of the head/neck junction via digastric trochanterotomy with surgical dislocation was performed. Preoperatively, the mean Notzli alpha angle was 65.6° (range 42–95°). Among the 34 patients, only four practiced sports requiring large range hip motion. MRI revealed a rim lesion in all patients. The following tests were performed: UCLA hip test, WOMAC (Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis) index, and SF-12.

Results: Mean follow-up was 2.5 years (range 2–4); pre- and postoperative scores were: WOMAC 59.2 and 81.0 (p< 0.001), UCLA scores 4.2 and 7.9 for pain, 7.3 and 9.0 for gait, 6.2 and 8.5 for function, 4.3 and 6.9 for activity (p< 0.05). The physical component of the SF-12 improved from 37.4 to 44.2 (p< 0.006) and the mental component from 46.0 to 51.6 (p< 0.03). None of the hips required revision to modify the joint configuration. Two complications were noted: one rupture of the greater trochanter and one heterotopic ossification requiring resection. Osteonecrosis was not observed. The trochanter implants were removed in nine patients because of pain.

Discussion: The femoroacetabular conflict results from insufficient concavity of the anterolateral head/neck junction associated with a rim tear. Correction of the bony anomaly provided significant short-term functional improvement both for the hip and for the patient’s general health. Correction of the offset by surgical dislocation of the hip is effective and safe treatment of the femoroacetabular conflict with preservation of the rim.