EP3.23 Sensory Neurapraxias Following Postless Hip Arthroscopy: A Consecutive Case Series Analysis

Abstract Objectives Postless hip arthroscopy has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of groin-related complications, most notably pudendal neurapraxia, in comparison to the traditional perineal post-assisted technique. However, other neurapraxias may still occur with this technique. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence, distribution, and severity of neurapraxias following postless hip arthroscopy. Methods This was a consecutive case series analysis of patients undergoing postless hip arthroscopy by the senior author. At each follow-up visit (2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year), each patient underwent a thorough sensory examination to evaluate for any neurapraxias in the thigh or feet. Patients with abnormal sensation were asked to quantify the percentage of normal sensation in this distribution. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify the incidence, severity, and duration of each of the most common neurapraxias. Results Fifty-nine patients (75% female) were included. Mean age at surgery was 31.1 years, mean BMI was 25.0 kg/m2, and mean follow-up was 14.6 weeks. Overall, 54.2% (32/59) of patients reported postoperative sensory dysfunction, the most common of which were related to the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN; incidence: 45.8%), deep peroneal nerve (DPN; 27.1%), and superficial peroneal nerve (SPN; 18.6%). Two patients reported contralateral neurapraxias after hip arthroscopy. At 2 weeks postoperatively, the mean normal sensation among patients with sensory neurapraxias of the LFCN, DPN, and SPN were 63%, 65%, and 69%, respectively. Among those with adequate follow-up, 26.9%, 48.9%, and 76% of individual sensory deficits completely resolved by 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively, respectfully. There were no cases of postoperative motor dysfunction. Conclusion There remains a high incidence of sensory neurapraxias following postless hip arthroscopy, most commonly related to the LFCN. A significant portion of these neurapraxias resolved by 6 months postoperatively.