Symptomatic manifestations of hip dysplasia in young adults: how do patients present before or after surgery? Results from a social media cohort

Abstract This study aimed to analyse the symptomatic differences of hip dysplasia before or after separate surgical interventions, including pain location and characteristics, severity, patient-reported outcomes, and a body pain diagram. A REDCap-based survey was distributed through social media from October 2023 to May 2024 and targeted individuals with current or past hip pain. The survey gathered data on demographics, comprehensive hip-specific history, and various patient-reported outcome measures. Of 509 completed surveys, 287 respondents reported a diagnosis of hip dysplasia and were divided into cohorts based on treatment history: no surgery (n = 65), post-periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) (n = 162), post-THA (n = 45), and post-hip arthroscopy (n = 15). All groups reported chronic hip pain, most commonly localized to the groin (no surgery 92.3%; post-PAO 84.6%; post-THA 84.4%; post-hip arthroscopy 93.3%) and trochanteric region (no surgery 66.2%; post-PAO 72.8%; post-THA 68.9%; post-hip arthroscopy 86.7%). The no surgery (4.26 ± 2.08), post-PAO (4.10 ± 1.94), post-THA (3.98 ± 2.13), and post-hip arthroscopy (4.0 ± 1.73) cohorts all reported pain in multiple anatomic locations. THA and PAO respondents reported the lowest pain levels (VAS 3.75 ± 2.44 & 4.01 ± 2.48, respectively) and better hip function (Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome [HOOS] 58.9 ± 17.4 & 55.9 ± 14.1, respectively) compared to other groups. Hip arthroscopy respondents had the lowest function (HOOS 47.6 ± 11.9) and highest pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale 27.5 ± 8.0) while non-surgical respondents had the highest pain levels (VAS 5.08 ± 2.48). Hip dysplasia patients continue to report pain in multiple anatomical locations even post-treatment, highlighting the persistent nature of pain in this condition. However, PAO and THA respondents reported better pain levels, hip function, and pain catastrophizing compared to non-surgical respondents.