Is Prior Hip Arthroscopy Associated With Higher Complication Rates or Prolonged Opioid Claims After Total Hip Arthroplasty? A Matched Cohort Study

Background: Hip arthroscopy (HA) procedures have increased exponentially in recent years. Their effect on outcomes after subsequent total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains unclear. Purpose: To compare rates of complications and opioid claims after elective THA among patients with prior HA versus controls. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Patients who underwent THA were identified in the PearlDiver database. Arthroplasty performed for hip fractures and hip avascular necrosis were excluded. Within this population, patients with HA before arthroplasty (n = 3156) were propensity score matched 1:1 with controls on age, sex, US region, and several comorbidities. Rates of medical complications within 90 days and prosthesis-related complications within 2 years were queried. The number of patients with an opioid claim within 0 to 30 days and subsequent opioid claim(s) during the 90-day global period were obtained to assess rates of prolonged opioid use after arthroplasty. Rates of postoperative complications and opioid claims were compared using logistic regression. Results: Patients with prior HA exhibited significantly lower rates of readmission (5.6% vs 7.3%; odds ratio [OR], 0.72), pulmonary embolism (0.2% vs 0.6%; OR, 0.45), urinary tract infection (3.1% vs 4.0%; OR, 0.75), and blood transfusion (3.6% vs 6.1%; OR, 0.55). The prior HA cohort also exhibited a significantly lower rate of prosthetic joint infection at 1 year postoperatively (0.6% vs 1.3%; OR, 0.50). Rates of dislocation, periprosthetic fracture, mechanical complications, and aseptic revision arthroplasty were statistically comparable between the cohorts within 2 years. The prior HA cohort was significantly less likely to file persistent opioid claims after 30 days postoperatively, including between 31 and 60 days (27.2% vs 33.1%; OR, 0.74) and 61 to 90 days (16.2% vs 20.9%; OR, 0.71). Conclusion: After elective THA, patients with prior HA exhibited significantly lower rates of medical complications and prolonged opioid claims within 90 days and prosthetic joint infection at 1 year. Rates of all other prosthesis-related complications within 2 years were statistically comparable.