The prevalence of synovitis during hip arthroscopy for labral tears – An observational study

Objectives: Hip pain, secondary to labral tears (LT), can significantly impact the quality of life in the young adult population. LTs can be an incidental finding or can arise from underlying pathology, most commonly from femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). The cause of hip pain in young adults can represent a diagnostic challenge to clinicians. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/magnetic resonance arthrography may be inconclusive in some cases. Therefore, diagnostic hip arthroscopy may be performed to provide a definitive diagnosis and to address intra-articular pathology. During hip arthroscopy, synovitis is often an initial finding. Synovitis can have multiple causes or can also be idiopathic. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of synovitis detected during hip arthroscopy in patients with an MRI-confirmed LT. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective review of 50 consecutive patients undergoing hip arthroscopy who had a confirmed LT on MRI. We recorded the presence or absence of synovitis during the initial insertion of the arthroscope. In addition, we recorded demographic data and the grade of LT identified. Results: During hip arthroscopy, 31 patients had synovitis present, while 19 did not have synovitis. No significant difference was identified when comparing Visual Analog Score and EQ5D scores between both cohorts. Conclusion: Our study found that synovitis is a common finding during hip arthroscopy for FAI syndrome, with 62% of patients with an MRI diagnosis of LT associated with FAI having global hip synovitis present at the time of surgery.