Clinical Results of Hip Arthroscopy for Labral Tears: A Comparison Between Intraoperative Platelet-Rich Plasma and Bupivacaine Injection

Purpose: The purpose of this prospective comparative study was to evaluate the effect of intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on the outcomes of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for labral treatment. Methods: During the period from November 2010 through March 2012, all patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for labral tears were considered for this study. The study group received intra-articular PRP at the end of the operation, and the control group received an intra-articular injection of 0.25% bupivacaine. Selection for the study group was based on the day of the week on which the patient underwent surgery. The protocol included administration of 4 hip-specific patient-reported outcome tools. Patients also reported their pain score on a visual analog scale from 0 to 10. Scores were recorded at the preoperative visit and at 3 months and 2 years postoperatively. Results: A minimum of 2 years' follow-up was available for 306 patients. Thirteen patients (4.2%) underwent conversion to total hip arthroplasty and 24 patients (7.8%) underwent revision hip arthroscopy, which left 91 patients in the study group and 180 patients in the control group. The study group had slightly higher pain scores than the control group (3.4 v 2.5) 2 years after surgery (P = .005). No difference in pain scores was identified at 3 months postoperatively. The 2-year modified Harris Hip Score was slightly lower in the study group (78.6) than in the control group (82.6) (P = .049). No significant difference was observed for the Hip Outcome ScoreeActivities of Daily Living, Hip Outcome ScoreeSport-Specific Subscale, or Non-Arthritic Hip Score at any time point. There was no significant difference between groups for conversion to total hip arthroplasty or revision surgery. Conclusions: On the basis of the results of this study, intraoperative PRP injection does not appear to improve the clinical results of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for labral treatment.