Arthroscopic labral repair versus debridement in non‐athletic patients with femoroacetabular impingement: A prospective randomized study
Karim Atef Salem, Ahmed Mohamed Elsaeed, Ibrahim El Ganzouri, Amr Ahmed Abdelrahman, Mahmoud M. Abdelwahab, Mohamed Amr HemidaAbstract
Purpose
To compare functional outcomes and pain scores between arthroscopic labral repair and selective labral debridement in a strictly defined non‐athletic population with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI).
Methods
Between February 2024 and April 2025, 60 non‐athletic patients (mean age 32.1 years) with symptomatic FAI were randomized to labral repair ( n = 30) or debridement ( n = 30). Non‐athletic status was defined as individuals who engaged in non‐competitive activity levels <3 h per week. All patients underwent concomitant cam/pincer resection as needed. The primary outcome was patient‐reported clinical outcome, assessed using the Harris Hip Score (HHS), Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Living (HOS‐ADL) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months.
Results
The repair group showed statistically superior HHS and HOS‐ADL scores at 3 and 6 months postoperatively ( p ≤ 0.021). By the 12‐month final follow‐up, outcomes converged, with no significant differences in HHS (93.2 vs. 90.0, p = 0.058), HOS‐ADL (90.0% vs. 86.6%, p = 0.149) or VAS pain (1.6 vs. 2.0, p = 0.375). Complication rates were similar (36.7% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.787), but operative time was longer for repair (119.3 vs. 99.7 min, p = 0.001).
Conclusion
In non‐athletic patients with FAI, labral repair was associated with superior early functional outcomes; however, no statistically significant differences between the two groups were detected at 12 months. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow‐up are needed to determine whether meaningful long‐term differences exist between the two procedures.
Level of Evidence
Level I, randomized controlled trial.